Godzilla A Legend Reborn
by Burning Blue Steel
Summary: From the ocean and our own inventions he came, full of nuclear rage and unfathomable power. Soon everyone and everything will know his name. A new take on a legend is born (Complete)
1. The Coming Storm

Project Castle  
  
Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test  
  
November 3, 1954  
  
The wail from the engines of the oncoming B-36 bomber sounded the death knell for everything within at least a twenty-mile radius. In the name of science and progress, it would all become a tomb of fire and death. At least none of the wildlife would have any idea as to what was about to happen. They would at least be granted a painless death, all except one.  
  
An earth-shattering explosion that threatened to tear that small part of the world asunder illuminated the night sky with the fires of Hell, consuming all in its path, not even leaving the smallest remnants to be remembered. The weapon that had unleashed it was by far the deadliest known to man, but what it would bring about would overshadow even its awesome brute force.  
  
For decades he lay in agony, dormant but still feeling everything around and within him, enduring test after horrific nuclear test. The Pacific currents that carried him somehow encountered each brutal explosion. He absorbed them into his body and into his very being, their radiation and energy feeding him, transforming him into something far beyond what had been intended for Earth. This being did not belong to the modern world, for he was from another age, a different world that had long since died. The tests would make him a part of this world now.  
  
400 miles west of Wake Island January 17, 1991  
  
One of the final underwater nuclear tests in history detonated in the calm waters of the Pacific Ocean. Vaporizing thousands of tons of water, the test ended life in that section of the ocean. At least, that is what a logical person would conclude. One remained, only this time he welcomed the torrent of energy and even the pain that accompanied it. The time was soon coming, for HE had truly awakened.  
  
Later that same night a violent storm had erupted around the test area. It seemed to echo what had occurred there that day. The rain and storm-tossed waves, along with the dancing lightning, provided a perfect backdrop to what many sailors would call a hallucination or even an apparition. Ocean water parted as if Moses himself had commanded it and the apparition rose, if only for a second, to take in a very first site of the modern world.  
  
The thunder roared across the night sky, making the ocean itself shudder.  
  
Perhaps, it was not the thunder at all. 


	2. Destruction And Secrets

Super Tanker, Kaneko 150 miles south of Midway Island June 15th, 2004  
  
It was a very calm night. The sky was as black as pitch and there were thunderclouds building up in the northwest sky. A violent thunderstorm was forming, but it would be considered polite compared to what was on its way.  
  
The crew of the Japanese super tanker Kaneko was hard at work, securing every single secure patch on their already faulty oil tanks that had just undergone emergency repair work. The ship's bow sliced through the choppy water at a speed of thirty-five knots. That was a speed that stressed even that mighty ship's hull under the terrible weather. The captain appeared rightfully worried about the condition of his ship.  
  
"Can't we avoid this damned storm? It's very unnerving," said the captain.  
  
"Sir, the storm is ten miles wide and long," reported one of the sailors. "We'll be lucky if we can keep the top deck in one piece."  
  
"We'd better," said the captain. "I don't like these types of nights. They remind me of those old legends."  
  
The young sailor seemed a little bit frightened.  
  
"Sir, do you mean the stories of Goji..."  
  
"Silence!" hollered the captain. "It's terrible luck to even say his name!"  
  
The storm raged on, transforming the ocean's water from a tranquil trance into a vicious and violent killer. Crewmembers then activated a tape recorder. They wanted to record their drunken ramblings, just for something to laugh at later. In the middle of their fun came something unearthly, something indescribable.  
  
It was a muffled, bell-like roar unlike anything that anyone had ever heard before. The sound made the entire ship vibrate with a chilling shudder. Before anyone could even say something, the water around the ship began to glow with an eerie neon blue light. Another sailor quickly approached the captain.  
  
"Sir, my God, there's something.... something horrible in the water!!!"  
  
Many sailors and workers rushed over to the ship's railings to see what was happening. The water was thick with a multitude of... of fish.  
  
Dead fish.  
  
They were all burned to a cinder and were now floating on the ocean surface. Most were now only skeletons. The ocean was becoming thick with them, piling up against the sides of the Kaneko.  
  
Terrified, everyone looked around in fear and anticipation as if waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, they let out a sigh of relief... then screamed in utter horror as they were knocked around like rag dolls when something huge slammed against the bottom of the ship at a speed of at least forty knots. Emergency klaxons blared causing the crew to go into a mass state of panic, but still the tape recorder recorded on.  
  
The oil tanks, which were already damaged, exploded. Oil and fuel spilled into the surrounding water from the gaping hole in the side of the hull. The ship began to take on water at a very rapid rate. As oil continued to spill into the water, a flash of the same blinding light illuminated the water around the ship and ignited the spilt oil. Every inch of the water surrounding the Kaneko burst into flames. The ocean was on fire while that same deafening roar tore through the night again.  
  
Large numbers of the crew ran out onto the deck of the doomed ship and stared into the flaming sea. They all knew they were finished.  
  
Something had reached up out of the infinitely deep ocean and destroyed them.  
  
"Gojira," whispered one of the doomed sailors.  
  
The last thing they would ever see was an apparition of incredible size, like a living mountain, rising from the ocean. The great vision was covered in the burning oil, but the sight of an almost unholy ray of flames that rained down upon them made them somewhat solemn in death.  
  
Right before his imminent death, the captain spoke.  
  
"It is karma. We yield to you, mighty one."  
  
The Kaneko exploded in a mass of flames and debris, completely vaporized. As quickly as it had come, the enormous apparition slipped back into the depths of the Pacific, remaining unknown to the world. Debris from the decimated ship floated in the empty waters and soon began to sink, all except a small tape recorder in an insulated plastic wrapping. It contained a secret, a very important secret, one that would play a major role in the near future.  
  
Military installation Osaka, Japan  
  
Military and science personnel sat at a large table. These men and women were all from either Japan or France. They all sat in stone silence, staring at a small black box that was setting on the center of the table. It was the worn and busted tape recorder from the recently destroyed ship, the Kaneko. A young female officer reached out her hand and hit the "play" button on the small recorder. At first, it made scrambling noises, then began to play but with bad static. What could be heard on that tape told a story of its own; screams, explosions, officers barking orders, breaking glass, a tremendous thud, the shredding of metal, along with a sound that nobody could identify.  
  
It sounded like the roar of a tremendous beast. It was too irregular and loud to be just a large animal. It sounded bell-like and feral, sort of like a low-pitched mix of an eagle's shriek and the roar of a lion. It definitely had the potential to shatter an eardrum or two. Every face in the room went blank and every back received a cold chill. What the hell made that kind of noise?  
  
A young man in uniform decided to make his thoughts known.  
  
"It doesn't sound like any kind of creature or weapon that I've heard of... more like my mother-n-law."  
  
The whole room burst out laughing but the higher ranked officers were not amused. An officer of higher rank silenced him.  
  
"Did any of us say that you could even breath, private?"  
  
"No sir, captain sir!"  
  
"Then shut the hell up!!!!!"  
  
"YES SIR."  
  
A younger man wearing a colonel's uniform and sporting a bad French accent held up a picture for everyone to see, especially the Japanese representative who was present.  
  
"You people can't honestly say that something ALIVE did this!?"  
  
The photo showed the remains of the Kaneko. It was nothing more than ashes.  
  
"Torpedoes or mines are quite possible, but I don't think so. Besides, do any of you, so-called, experts know of a military weapon that roars like some over-sized beast of prey?" said the Japanese representative, eyeing the scientists who were present.  
  
The researchers look up, puzzled expressions on their faces. They were just as baffled and frightened as everyone else.  
  
"Do the Americans know?" asked one of the scientists.  
  
"No."  
  
"Good, nobody must become enlightened. The cause of this tragedy is still unknown, but I fear it's much greater of a danger then any of us can imagine yet."  
  
"Take a look at this," announced a second scientist, inserting tape into a VCR and hitting 'play'.  
  
The TV screen showed several aerial shots of the barely recognizable remains of the Kaneko. Men in, what appeared to be, radiation suits circled the ship slowly in a motorized raft, Geiger counters in hand.  
  
"Our guess is whatever turned this ship into a few shards of charred steel was radioactive."  
  
The room burst into a frenzy of discussion and shouting but was soon quieted down.  
  
"What!? How can that be?" yelled the French colonel. "France and the U.S. have both ceased nuclear testing in that area for many years now!"  
  
"We can't be for sure until we examine those remains more closely. For now, this is a top secret matter that is to be trusted with no person out side this room," said the Japanese representative.  
  
Everyone nodded in agreement. The young female security officer who had been playing with the tape recorder suddenly spoke.  
  
"Um, sorry to interrupt, sirs," said the young woman, shrinking back at the sight of several stern faces staring at her. "But I just heard something on the tape that might interest you."  
  
"Alright young lady, let's here it," said the colonel.  
  
She then activated the recorder at about the middle of the tape. The same chaos and static could be heard along with something else. It sounded like a single word being screamed over and over again. Everyone listened intently and started to understand the word.  
  
GOJIRA.... GOJIRA.... GOJIRA.... GOJIRA.... GOJIRA.... GOJIRA!!!!  
  
"Who or what the hell is Gojira?" said the army major.  
  
"Beats me, sir," said the private.  
  
"I remember Gojira as an ancient legend passed down for generations in my country and surrounding cultures." said the Japanese representative. "It was an incredible sea dragon of immense size that would destroy our ships if certain prayers were not recited before beginning a voyage. Yearly virgin sacrifices were also given to Gojira."  
  
"Well, whoever or whatever Gojira ACTUALLY is, we all would like to know," said the colonel.  
  
"How do you say this name, um, Gujira, Godjira, Godzira, Godzilla?" questioned the captain.  
  
"Godzilla?" asked one of the scientists.  
  
The French colonel spoke again.  
  
"If any of this gets out to the press, there will be SEVERE consequences for the one who opens his or her mouth too widely. Let's just say that if word of 'Godzilla' gets out, it'll be all of your asses."  
  
"Whatever." said the major. "What needs to be done is to investigate the wreckage of that damned ship better than we have been!"  
  
The Japanese representative leaned forward in his chair, a steely look in his eyes.  
  
"I'm going along with the investigation crew, keeping myself undercover of course. It was my country's ship... and I'd like to see for myself if the legends have come into reality."  
  
The French colonel stood up and began to leave the room, then looked back at the group.  
  
"Well then... Project "G" is underway."  
  
Everyone in the room laughed nervously, but then drifted off into an uneasy silence. 


	3. First Landfall

June 18 Somewhere on the western coast of Panama  
  
Sea gulls flew noisily overhead, the sun was on it's way down, wind blew noisily through the trees, and natives sat on the shore's side tending to their late afternoon activities. All was normal except the fact that military and scientific personnel were arriving on the shores. They hurriedly unpacked and set up their gear and equipment, not knowing exactly why they were even there.  
  
For Sean Campbell, this would be an adventure of a lifetime. Campbell had been hired by the U.S. Armed Forces, which had called upon him to help in their ongoing investigation. The word of the G-Project had been leaked.  
  
Not being a scientist himself, Sean's six years of nuclear physics and phenomenon research were highly regarded by his college, which was the brand new University of Nevada. The call to fly to Panama for a "special, high-pay job" was definitely a big surprise for Campbell, but he did not hesitate to go. He could not help but wonder what aspects of this assignment involved nuclear energy or radiation.  
  
A navy seaplane touched down on the Panamanian coastline and released two inflated landing craft. The boats headed toward the shore and run up onto the beach. Soldiers from the boats jumped onto the beach, arms full of electrical equipment, and rushed it to the large tent the research team was setting up. This equipment was valuable to Project "G". It would now be used to monitor the remains of the Kaneko, which were now being salvaged in what remained of them, nothing but small fragments.  
  
Sean Campbell disembarked from the seaplane and looked around in wonderment, still wanting to know what the team the army had selected for him was waiting for. From one of the tents came Campbell's supervisor, Colonel William Taggart. Taggart was a highly regarded officer in the U.S. Armed Forces. He was a stern, loud, tough, but yet a fair commander who could have fun when he felt like it.  
  
"Campbell, glad you could join us. Project "G" can need all the help it can get," greeted Taggart.  
  
Campbell nodded out of respect.  
  
"I still don't see why I was chosen for this assignment. I mean, I'm barely 28 and have never officially done anything like this."  
  
"You finished your courses with the highest honors and you're highly recommended. Besides, we can always use some young blood around here so this should be a good first assignment for you. With all your work, how the hell did you have time for a social life?"  
  
Campbell smirked and laughed.  
  
"Oh believe me, my social life was one that Elvis probably might envy."  
  
"That lively, eh?"  
  
"Just check my old high school records and maybe some of my past girlfriends."  
  
Taggart laughed and shook Campbell's shoulder.  
  
"Ah, modern self confidence. I like that, but just leave out that smart- assed smirk."  
  
"I'll see what I can do, sir." said Campbell.  
  
Taggart laughed and the two men began walking around the area. The natives were being rushed out of the way while the soldiers finished readying the research equipment.  
  
As they walked, Campbell removed his wallet from his pocket and flipped it open. Inside was the picture of a gorgeous young woman. Her smile, along with her beautiful face and soft brown hair, was so warm it could have melted the North Pole. Sean gazed at the picture for several seconds, remembering her when they were once together, still wandering how it had gone wrong.  
  
"Amber..." whispered Sean.  
  
Taggart turned to Campbell.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing sir," replied Campbell, shoving his wallet back into his pants pocket.  
  
"Now, down to business; the truth about Project "G" is.... we don't know. We have no idea what we're dealing with. Actually, the only reason this operation is called "G" is because of some panic stricken Japanese sailors, whose voices were picked up on an old tape recorder from the Kaneko, yelling the word, "Gojira".  
  
"Gojira?" remarked Campbell.  
  
"Yeah, Gojira. It's supposed to be some ancient sea monster who destroys ships that sail the oceans if it wasn't prayed to and given sacrifices. But now, Gojira is being called Godzilla."  
  
"Godzilla? Sounds like a translation."  
  
"Not really, more like a mistranslation." said Taggart.  
  
"Godzilla sounds pretty cool to me, 'has a powerful ring to it."  
  
"Yeah... it does doesn't it..." said Taggart, his thoughts drifting.  
  
Sean looked at him curiously.  
  
"You don't sound so sure about this, sir.  
  
"I'm not. Supposedly, something ALIVE obliterated the Kaneko and if that's true, I sure as hell don't want to meet it. There are several here who'd agree with me in a hot second."  
  
"That I'm sure of. Well, are we all camping out here tonight or what?  
  
"Yeah, we are. Some of the other scientists are saying that there have been strange readings coming from the surrounding waters..."  
  
"What kind of readings?" Campbell asked.  
  
"The Geiger counters are off the scales."  
  
Campbell's face drooped.  
  
"That's not a good thing."  
  
"Exactly! That's why those science goons are keeping us here tonight, to watch for Godzilla."  
  
"Well, what if 'Godzilla' is some kind of new enemy military weapon that'll nuke this entire country side when it comes?"  
  
"I guess we'll find out later."  
  
Sean and Will then began to walk back towards camp, bad-mouthing Will's superior officers for not allowing any kind of "female entertainment" in the camp.  
  
"By the way Sean, who was the girl in the picture?" asked Taggart.  
  
Campbell hung his head for a moment.  
  
"Nobody."  
  
The sun had just set and the ocean winds began to pick up at a steady pace. Everyone else in the camp had settled down for an early, wondering what the "G" Project would have in store next for all of them. Little did they know, the answer to the "G" Project was closer then they could ever guess.  
  
12:00 A.M.  
  
The ocean winds were increasing with velocity at a very rapid pace, churning the surrounding waters at a violent rate. Lightning and thunder began crashing across the sky, some even getting a bit to close to the army and researchers' tents. Some of the researchers decided to go out of their tents and all cram inside a small cave for more shelter. They tried their best to fall but could not help but become astonished by the large patch of water that kept churning and boiling, a lot like a giant steam pot.  
  
Just then, clouds covered the full moon, casting darkness over the entire beach. That did not stop whatever was in the water from emerging. What these few Japanese research assistants saw made them freeze in mortal terror. Something of ungodly size and height was rising from the ocean. Through the darkness, only a faint outline of the colossal apparition could be seen, but that was enough to tell that this was not anything ordinary. It appeared to rival a small skyscraper in height and dwarf the same kind of skyscraper in size.  
  
The ground then every few seconds began to shake violently as the entity approached. The tents back at the camp were mostly shaken to the ground and blown away by the gale winds. A sound louder then the normal thunder then tore through the storm, shredding everyone's eardrums, only it was not thunder. It was the earth-shattering roar of something beyond natural, but something that was definitely alive.  
  
Sean Campbell scrambled out of his tent and ducked behind a tree to avoid the torrents of rain and wind. A flash of lightning illuminated the area for a short time, but long enough for Sean and everyone else to catch a glimpse of something that appeared to be some kind of walking mountain. Sean froze like a piece of lead from fight. He could not budge. From what appeared to be the very top of the apparition, two extremely bright lights peered down at the ground. They suddenly narrowed a little bit.  
  
"Those are eyes!!!!!" screamed Campbell.  
  
Sean dived out of the way just in time as something that could be nothing else but a mammoth foot hurtled down to the ground. When it hit, the ground shook violently and was torn apart. Whatever was in the way was no longer in existence. Trees were swept aside by something that was very huge, very strong, and extremely long... like an overgrown tail. It swung through the air and flattened several acres of the beach before the thing moved inland, making a terrible slashing noise as it swung through the air.  
  
The terrible shaking would come each time the apparition put one of its "feet" down. People ran, scrambling to get away, but the natives' village had been flattened like a pancake. Nothing but sticks of wood remained. A Japanese girl stood still and silent, the color completely drained from her face. Sean, doing before thinking, rushed through the torrents of rain to the girl's aid.  
  
"My God in heaven, that's no weapon. It walks, damnit, it walks and it roars!!!" yelled Campbell.  
  
Another earth-shattering roar split the eardrums of everyone within range of the sound. The windows in the military jeeps exploded from the sound. With that, the mammoth being headed inland, finally vanishing into the vast darkness of the Panamanian forests, its thunderous footsteps shaking the night worse than any storm.  
  
Getting over the shock, Sean turned back to the young women who now stared at the forest with the most empty-looking eyes he'd ever seen. What she was repeating was that mysterious name.  
  
"Gojira..., Gojira..., Gojira..., Gojira..., Gojira..."  
  
Sean put his arm around her to try and offer some amount of comfort. He looked to his left to see a group of young Japanese science personnel, wet and petrified.  
  
"Didn't you see," one of them said. "It was a monster. the ocean rose. alive!" 


	4. Its Alive

A/N: For those who are wondering, this story has nothing to do with the timelines of any of the Godzilla movies. It is a completely new start.  
  
June 19th  
  
No one slept a wink the previous night, and with good reason. Nobody knew yet exactly what Gojira was, but it had come ashore last night and leveled an entire village with a few stomps of its "feet".  
  
Sean Campbell viewed the ruined village and the disheveled research camp with a million questions running through his mind. Had it been a monster, a new weapon, a lost dinosaur, what!? All Sean could remember was a terrifying, bell-like roar nearly ruining his eardrums and shattering every piece of glass at the camp. From one of the remaining tents, Taggart was yelling at some of his lower-ranked officers.  
  
"WHY THE HELL WASN'T THAT... THAT THING DETECTED EARLIER!? WHAT THE HELL WAS IT!??? I WANT ANSWERS NOW!!!!!!"  
  
"Sir, all we detected earlier was signs of radiation coming from the surrounding waters, which you were told about earlier. All we can tell about, um, Godzilla, is that its approximate height is over two hundred feet," said one of the sergeants.  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
"Uh, yes sir..."  
  
Campbell ducked into the tent.  
  
"Colonel Taggart, I think you should come look at something, sir."  
  
"Make it quick, kid," said Taggart, frowning.  
  
Campbell and Taggart ran out of the tent and toward a large part of the coastline forests, or, what used to be the forests. Where masses of trees should have stood, only a large path of barren, burned ground remained. But in amongst the tremendously wide, long path, there were what appeared to be multiple, large impressions smashed into the ground.  
  
Soldiers were walking around several of the "pits", scanning them with Geiger counters. Campbell walked to the edge of one of the impressions and peered down into it. It had to be at least eight feet deep, at least. They looked like gigantic footprints. Campbell saw that the feet had to have four giant toes each. They were incredible, both in size and splendor. Sean, being the daring type, leaped down into one of the prints.  
  
"Campbell!" yelled Taggart. "If you get hurt, it's my ass that's gonna get busted! I'm responsible for your health and safety!"  
  
"Lighten up, Colonel. Nothing's gonna happen. It's just a little jump!"  
  
Taggart growled to himself. Campbell was able to walk around freely inside Godzilla's massive footprint. That name, Godzilla, replayed itself repeatedly in Sean's mind. Was that thing that came ashore and steamrolled a massive pathway through the forests of Panama the legendary beast, Gojira? If it was, Gojira was not a myth anymore.  
  
Around the area, local children were also playing in the footprints. Some hung on the sides of each impression; others frolicked around in the mud at the bottom of the prints. When one child twisted his ankle while jumping into one of the footprints, some soldiers helped the child out of the hole and hurried the others back to their awaiting parents.  
  
Soldiers also scanned bystanders with Geiger counters to make sure no one became laced with the deadly radiation that contaminated Godzilla's path. Infected people were immediately rushed to the nearest mobile medical centers. Overhead, five military Apache helicopters followed the fiery, flattened trail through the forest. It went on for miles, all the way to the eastern coast of Panama.  
  
"Campbell, pack up, we're heading to eastern Panama." ordered Taggart.  
  
"Oh don't tell me, more evidence of Godzilla?"  
  
"I'm afraid so."  
  
"What the hell happened?" asked Campbell, throwing his bags onto the helicopter.  
  
"Acres of inland terrain and shores, smashed and burned to a cinder."  
  
"Holy God..." grumbled Campbell.  
  
He and Taggart boarded their military seaplane, took off, and headed east. Below, the massive pathway that had been smashed and burned through miles of forests and shores stood as a testament to an unnatural power that made it. All throughout the pathway, the gargantuan footprints led an ominous trail from the west to east coast of Panama. Campbell sat in silence the whole flight, much to Taggart's surprise, wondering if and how soon they would run into Godzilla again.  
  
Curiosity overcame Campbell's fear of the unknown, which was now in the still mysterious form of Godzilla. After an uneasy flight, Taggart and Campbell, followed by their research teams, arrived on Panama's eastern coast. There were even more footprints here, but the main tracks led right into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. This shore too was smashed up beyond recognition. Sean knew what it meant.  
  
"Godzilla's made his way to the Atlantic." said Sean.  
  
"Whatdaya mean 'his'?" asked Taggart's helicopter pilot.  
  
"Look, we can tell that Godzilla is no military weapon; it's alive. I know that sounds crazy, but what about the massive amounts of radiation that we found around the wreckage of the Kaneko and in those miles of forests? That stuff sure as hell isn't any kind of coincidence. What it is, is one of our answers.  
  
Every time Godzilla struck, the radioactivity was everywhere. It's my belief that whatever Godzilla is is the product of some kind of nuclear testing that took place possibly in the 1950's or early 60's and possibly those of more recent times in the Pacific. Now all we need to know is what kind of mutation we're dealing with."  
  
Taggart thought this over for a few seconds before giving his approval.  
  
"That's the best I've heard so far, good enough to present to our research team."  
  
"Ah, thank you, just the normal stuff."  
  
"There's that self-confidence I like!" laughed Taggart. "But even if it is a living creature, how can it even move!? It's so damned big!"  
  
"It looks like Mother Nature has thrown us another curveball." said Campbell.  
  
"You're a smart man," said Taggart.  
  
Campbell just grinned. Over the helicopter's small video screens, a military report was then received. It showed a large patch of ocean about two hundred miles east of the Virginian coast. In the water, there was something incredibly large moving at a speed that was originally thought impossible for something of such vast size. The water around it flashed with a neon blue-color every few seconds and immediately turned to steam. Whatever was there was generating tremendous heat and lots of it. The helicopter's crew looked on for several minutes, than began to fly back towards Florida, low on fuel.  
  
"Oh man, that has to be Godzilla!" stammered Campbell.  
  
"I know, and we've got to stop him." said Taggart. "There's a navy task force positioned fifteen miles directly north of Godzilla's location, and he seems to be heading almost right at it."  
  
"I'll send 'em the message." said the pilot.  
  
American aircraft carrier U.S.S. Forastal Fifteen miles north of Godzilla's position  
  
The flight deck of the Forastal jammed with all kinds of aircraft parts, fuel lines, F-18 and F-14 fighter jets. The ship's escorts of navy cruisers and destroyers had to keep at about two-thirds speed all of the time to stay in line with the carrier. The captain of the Forastal, Darren Harper, was informed by his first mate that Colonel William Taggart was on the line and that it was urgent. Harper picked up the radio receiver.  
  
"Captain Harper here, what can I do for you, sir?"  
  
"I've got a little job for you captain. A hostile target, codenamed 'Godzilla', is heading your way and I want you to take him out," ordered Taggart.  
  
"Yes sir, but I've got to ask you, what's Godzilla? An enemy ship?"  
  
"He's big, a really big hostile target. You wouldn't believe me if I told you anything else. Just look for a huge blip on your sonar and start raining depth charges."  
  
"Understood, sir. Another question sir, what do you mean by calling the target 'he'?"  
  
"Never mind, just blow the target outta the water!"  
  
Taggart hung the phone up. The order was issued by Harper and the surrounding ships readied their weapons. The cruiser Atlanta reported a tremendous blip appearing on their sonar screen. The Forastal also received the image.  
  
"Come on now," said Harper. "That has to be a cluster of targets instead of one."  
  
"Negative sir," said the Forastal's sonar operator. "It's a SINGLE object. 'Much larger then any sub we have on record and is making some kind of noise, like a roar."  
  
"Say what?" said Captain Harper.  
  
"Yes sir, and its speed is... holy shit, fifty knots!!!"  
  
"No way!" shouted Harper. Nothing that big can move so damn fast! Alright then, take the bastard out!"  
  
Instantly after the order was issued, the smaller ships were swarming everywhere, showering the water with depth charges and anti-submarine torpedoes. The multiple explosions caused torrents of water to be blasted into the air. On sonar, masses of smaller blips, the depth charges and torpedoes, approached the large blip but before most of them reached the target, they disappeared from the screen. The water under the ships illuminated for a few seconds, than subsided.  
  
"Sir, two-thirds of deployment detonated, but before they made contact. The others all made impact."  
  
"Alright! Target destroyed!" stated the Atlanta's captain.  
  
"No sir, target remains... and it wasn't even slowed down."  
  
"Could you say that again!?" said the captain in surprise.  
  
"The target's headed right at us!"  
  
"Evasive maneuvers! Get us outta here!"  
  
On the sonar screen, the enormous blip ascended from the depths toward the Atlanta at an impossible speed for something that large. The ship began evasive combat maneuvers and sailed at flank speed, trying to lead the target away from the task force.  
  
It was too late.  
  
As emergency klaxons rang throughout the hull of the Atlanta, the target lashed out. The keel of the ship was snapped like a twig from being hit from directly underneath. Men were tossed around like dust in a tornado and the ship broke apart like poorly built card house. The only way to describe what was dismembering the Atlanta was to say it was a set of "claws", which were attached to three fingers and a thumb of a much larger hand.  
  
Nobody got a good look at the details on the hand. This huge hand now gripped the Atlanta's nuclear reactor and began pulling. The reactor was swiftly ripped away, out of the ships hull, and into the ocean. Right before the incredibly hot waters from the nuclear reactor mixed in with the frigid ocean water, the crew of the doomed Atlanta heard the same deafening, bell-like roar that had served as the death knell for the supertanker Kaneko along with the entire countryside and forests of Panama. Now that same sound sentenced the Atlanta to a watery grave.  
  
A devastating explosion ripped through the ill-fated ship. As stunned onlookers from the Forastal's flight deck looked on in shock and utter horror, the Atlanta was ripped apart by the explosion from the area inside it that formally contained the reactor core. Debris of all shapes and sizes rained down over a ten-mile radius.  
  
The fleet of naval vessels scattered in all directions, carefully watching their sonar monitors to avoid the unknown entity that swam around in an unpredictable pattern below them. Suddenly, the target began to swim northward, away from the fleet, feeding on the Atlanta's reactor and growing stronger with every radioactive isotope that it consumed.  
  
Out of nowhere, a strange energy pulse wave was detected coming from Godzilla's location. There was no way for the ships to avoid it.  
  
It swept over the entire fleet, rendering all tracking and the majority of electrical systems useless. Officers and sailors were all yelling and shouting in panic, but Captain Harper could barely speak.  
  
"Holy Jesus, Mary, and Joseph..." mumbled Captain Harper.  
  
"What in the name of heaven and hell was that?" gasped the Forastal's navigator.  
  
Harper then picked up his radio and contacted Colonel Taggart.  
  
"Colonel Taggart, we attacked your target and it just blew the Atlanta out of the water!!!"  
  
Taggart sat silent for several seconds, than finally spoke.  
  
"Turn your ships around and get the hell out of there! Head for the Military Ocean Terminal in Jersey City!"  
  
"Alright sir," said Harper. "We'll sail there to dock right away. Sir, we, uh, also lost track of Godzilla. It sent out some kind of pulse wave that fragged our tracking systems!"  
  
"Don't worry about that know, just go!"  
  
Harper ordered the taskforce back north, sailing towards Jersey City for emergency docking. Unknown to them, the target began to follow, undetected due to the lack of any working sonar.  
  
Taggart slammed down the radio receiver and sat in stone silence with only the chopping sound of the helicopter blades around him. Sean looked at him for a moment.  
  
"Sir, what's wrong? 'Something happen I should know about?"  
  
"Yes," said Taggart. "Just a few minutes ago, the U.S.S. Atlanta was destroyed seventeen miles ahead of us, by Godzilla. I ordered the fleet to New York for emergency docking but..."  
  
"But what?"  
  
"I never stopped to think... Godzilla could follow them."  
  
Campbell's face went blank.  
  
"Oh no, tell them to go somewhere else!"  
  
"I wish I could, but if they change course to much, Godzilla could intercept them."  
Taggart frowned and pulled out an electronic map. He traced out the possible courses the ships could take to confuse Godzilla.  
  
"The Forastal needs to get to New York due to electronic system damage and many injured crewmen caused by the Atlanta's explosion. Its taskforce can spread out in different directions to keep Godzilla from following the carrier."  
  
"We should still warn the government and... if Godzilla does follow the carrier, evacuate New York City," said Campbell.  
  
"You're right Campbell; I'll do both of those things now."  
  
As Taggart went about his business, Sean Campbell could only sit in silence on the way to Manhattan.  
  
The situation was turning into something right out of some giant monster movie. 


	5. Godzilla Rising

New York City, New York June 20 3:00 P.M. eastern time  
  
The Manhattan skyline looked splendid in the afternoon sun. It was an unexpected rush hour that day. Cars and other vehicles crammed every street and ally of downtown New York, all trying to get where they wanted to go.  
  
New Yorkers were stunned the sudden appearance of squad after squad of police cars accompanied by the local National Guard. Some of the soldiers carried megaphones and spoke to the confused civilians through them.  
  
"Everyone please remain calm. We have been ordered by the government to evacuate Manhattan and surrounding burrows of New York City in an orderly fashion. There is no immediate emergency but we need to get you all to safety as quickly as possible."  
  
They should have known that the quick method of warning large groups of people of possible disaster hardly ever worked. Citizens began breaking out into mass panic just as the streets of the downtown area were filling up with tanks and army transport trucks to begin the evacuation of pedestrians.  
  
Mob after mob of people were attempting to flee the city in any way possible. The interstate highways and every street were hopelessly packed, the airports crammed to capacity, and the docks were being abandoned. Subways were also brimming over with panicked New Yorkers. Soldiers and police ran around every, attempting to maintain some kind of order. They were failing miserably.  
  
Stores and buildings were being looted everywhere you looked and fights were also breaking out. It was chaos to say the least. Then, the ominous sound of emergency and air raid sirens could be heard across the city. They were heralding the destruction that was to come. All around the city, animals began to get very nervous. Dogs, cats, birds and just about every other animal in New York were going crazy, making all the noise that they could. It was not caused by the sirens because all of them were wailing in the direction of the Lower and Upper Bays. Even the animals knew what terror was coming from there. Birds filled the sky over Manhattan as they flocked madly in an attempt to escape and people did everything that they could to calm their mortified pets.  
  
Harper's task force steamed into Lower Bay, now only consisting of the Forastal and two escorting cruisers. His crew and the crews of the other ships were all still shell-shocked over what had happened to the Atlanta.  
  
As they passed under the Verrazand Narrows Bridge, the officers and sailors finally began to feel some much-needed relief. Unfortunately, that relief would be short-lived.  
  
Aboard the cruiser Nevada  
  
Crewmembers gathered on the stern of their ship. None of them really knew why. It was just a strange feeling that pervaded them, and it got to more than just them. The sensation was spreading like wildfire to everyone within the New York City limits and was making its way through every vein of media connections in the world; Reports of the unexplainable phenomenon from the depths of the Pacific that was now making its way toward the northeastern United States.  
  
Newsrooms were in a state of chaos, trying to prepare for what was sure to be the story of the new century. The situation in Manhattan had already become worldwide news. The U.S. military was at Defcon 1, gathering a massive defense force to head for New York City, to be prepared to battle an enemy whose strengths and weaknesses were not yet known.  
  
On the Nevada, crewmen continued to stare out beyond the ship's stern as they neared Jersey City, hearing the sounds of panic and out-of-control mobs in the distance from New York City. But what would appear before them next would again shock them beyond belief.  
  
Several hundred meters behind the Nevada, the water suddenly seemed to take on a life of its own. The water rose up at least thirty feet in a massive, v-shaped wake that was charging straight for the small fleet.  
  
In the middle of the wake, three rows of massive, flat plates rose from the water. Each was edged with huge spine extensions, giving them the look of enormous, tall, flat, maple-leaf shaped spikes. The center row was larger and taller than the left and right rows and all of the spiked plates were a metallic silver color with hints of icy blue.  
  
The crew of each ship was too astonished to even speak. Captain Harper was able to see the disturbance from video feed in the Forastal's conning tower. He too, just like everyone else who could see the advancing, unknown entity, looked on in shock.  
  
As the ships made a sharp turn towards the Military Ocean Terminal, the phenomenon know as Godzilla barreled right on past them, headed towards the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and the southern tip of Manhattan.  
  
The Forastal received an emergency message from Colonel Taggart.  
  
"Harper, get to Jersey City now!!! Godzilla is about on top of Manhattan and we don't have the blockade ready yet now get out of his way and have your planes on standby!!!!"  
  
"He's already past us sir," replied Harper in a very mellow tone. "Colonel, just what the hell are those spikes in the water doing over Godzilla's position?"  
  
"From what we can tell from detailed sonar analysis, they're dorsal fins... don't mind about that now; Just get to safety!"  
  
Harper sailed toward nearby Jersey City, hoping he would be able to help out against Godzilla in the near future.  
  
Taggart, Campbell and the rest of their scientific team landed at their temporary base of operations, temporarily dubbed G-Project Headquarters, or GPHQ, around Battery Park. The building was equipped with the necessary lab equipment, medical facilities, and eating areas, and an underground emergency bomb shelter.  
  
They were preparing for something that represented the very meaning of the unexplained and the unexpected. It continued, even as an extremely important news broadcast aired throughout the city. The reporter looked fatigued with trepidation as he spoke.  
  
"We are now bringing you live coverage of Godzilla, who is now two miles from the southern tip of Manhattan Island. He has not surfaced, but a great disturbance is clearly visible in the water as Godzilla swims beneath the surface. Wait, we are experiencing an electrical disturbance. Please stand by..."  
  
The audio and visual feed from the media 'chopper were severed, but were picked up by a hidden group of media rats. The coverage was being broadcasted in every part of the world that had television. Every person who watched from elsewhere became glued to their TV sets, awaiting the appearance of the only living aftermath of the thermonuclear bomb. Nobody had all that long to wait.  
  
On the sonar screen at the G-Project Headquarters, an enormous blip that represented Godzilla neared the thick cluster of anti-submarine mines that were placed there to destroy it. Government members and military officials watched the unfolding events from the United Nations Building, itself being in New York.  
  
The world held its collective breath as Godzilla made contact with the mines, the explosions blasting columns of water hundreds of feet into the air. A whooping cheer rose up from soldiers and politicians but immediately faded away when they were told that Godzilla remained on the sonar screen and that he was surfacing...  
  
The disturbance in the water began to repeatedly flash with a mysterious bright neon blue light. A huge burst of this same light then erupted from underneath the disturbance in the water. It too seemed to generate tremendous heat since thousands of gallons of water were instantly turned to steam. A slender, muscular, jet black tail of tremendous size and length swung up from the water and smashed back down, creating powerful waves.  
  
A vast silence fell across the entire world since what was emerging from under the waves of Upper Bay would make anyone speechless. The water seemed to part in an almost supernatural manor as the beast rose, his figure being of such staggering size that an almost simultaneous shriek of utter horror rose from the populous of Manhattan.  
  
From underneath the disturbance on the ocean surface came the most incredible site ever seen by modern man, Godzilla. He exploded up through the surface of the water with an unbelievable earth-shattering roar. It had the power to strike mortal terror into even the bravest of persons.  
  
Millions of onlookers and viewers once again fell silent, awestruck at the appearance of Godzilla. This was who had destroyed the Kaneko, miles of Panamanian landscape, and the cruiser Atlanta.  
  
The President of the United States, Allan Stone and the rest of the U.S. government looked on in utter disbelief and shock, as were the leaders and other members of almost every other government of the world in the presence of this awesome new lifeform.  
  
"It's... a damned dinosaur!" cried the president. "No wait. a lizard! No, definitely a mix!"  
  
"Maybe sir, but it looks like that thing has been heavily mutated..." said the Secretary of Defense.  
  
Drinking cups hit the ground from being dropped, cigarettes fell from mouths, eyes bulged, and bodies trembled with fear. People from all corners of the globe were watching and listening to the newly revealed phenomenon known as Godzilla. Children awed and cooed while most adults paled from fear. This was truly an historic event. Mankind was meeting the living product of His very own thermonuclear weapon, the results yet to be seen and dreaded at the same time.  
  
In one household, a young boy called for his mother to come into the living room to see what he had found on TV.  
  
"Mommy, mommy! Look at the cool dinosaur!"  
  
The boy's mother was carrying an armful of dishes, but dropped them all when her body went limp at the sight of the live Godzilla coverage on CNN. The creature's tail swung up and slammed back down into the water as he stretched out his arms and roared again. Godzilla shook his body, shaking the water off. Water fell in torrents from his torso.  
  
The creature's appearance was breathtaking. Godzilla's body was slightly bulky, made of unadulterated, defined muscle with thick muscular legs and massive, solid chest. His neck was also thick and powerfully built and his head was smaller, reptilian and feral, but still sleek and fierce. Godzilla's long powerful tail trashed around in the water, causing large waves to smash against the shoreline. Several ships that were docked capsized and sank from the impact of the water.  
  
His eyes were quite possibly the most intense ever. The pupils were deep black while the surrounding area blazed a fiery thermonuclear red. Those who looked closely enough could see that there was indeed some kind of intelligence behind them.  
  
His arms were a good length and also laden with muscle like the rest of him. Despite his burly and tremendous appearance, Godzilla was surprisingly streamline for his gargantuan size. His skin, which gleamed in the afternoon sun, was a deep jet black, pitted and gouged with deep vertical groves. The texture made Godzilla's hide resemble the bark of an ancient oak tree.  
  
The mysterious spikes were actually the three rows of dorsal fins that jutted from his back. These fins illuminated and crackled with a strange, searing neon blue colored energy as Godzilla threw his head back and bellowed into the sky. The two ear-like appendages on his head were very small and pointy, but were visible to the naked eye.  
  
Godzilla began to steadily approach the shoreline, roaring his defiance to the world. As Godzilla walked, he would swing his tail up into the air and let it smash back down every several seconds. He kept his arms horizontal from the elbows down, a solid battle stance as he continually checked his surroundings, investigating this new area he was in.  
  
Manhattan stretched out before him. For a second or two he appeared mesmerized by the mass number of buildings, especially the skyscrapers that towered over even him. He concentrated on them as a strange sensation overcame him, a primordial memory of centuries past. The enormous being never remembered anything like these bizarre structures, nor the floating metal creatures that had attacked him earlier.  
  
Godzilla continued onward. Everyone in the city who had not already left stopped for a minute to gaze in awe and wonderment at the lethal majesty of Godzilla; They then ran for their very lives in chaotic panic.  
  
Sean Campbell ran outside of the GPHQ to get a better look at, probably, the most important scientific find ever. He stood in shock. Godzilla's very presence could be felt everywhere, especially when he was in plain sight.  
  
"Incredible, absolutely incredible..." breathed Campbell.  
  
A feeling of dread washed over Sean Campbell. He somehow knew what Godzilla was. Campbell could tell almost just by the monster's physical appearance. Gojira was not the sea monster from Oriental mythology, but a seemingly flawless mutation, combining all of the best features of the modern lizard and the ancient, terrifying features of the dinosaur, amplified a seemingly infinite amount of times by the hydrogen bomb.  
  
Campbell went back inside to hear a scientist, who sat at a bio- analysis screen, give his latest report.  
  
"According to what we're seeing here, it's been determined that Godzilla is over two-hundred feet tall!"  
  
The jaws of every person that could hear that dropped wide open in shock.  
  
Godzilla's movements seemed infused by a uncanny mobility and grace that no other living thing had ever possessed. The creature's impossibly large body moved as smoothly as any jungle cat. His wet skin still gleamed in the sunlight and his flesh rippled with each step and movement... a walking mountain with the grace of a panther.  
  
Nonetheless, the army had mobilized a sizable force of tanks and missile launchers around Battery Park, Godzilla's most likely entryway to Manhattan.  
  
Godzilla still approached. He did not seem to care about the tiny vehicles that were there to kill him. Godzilla was close enough to land that he was only knee-deep in the water. Even the soldiers were spellbound by Godzilla's overpowering presence.  
  
The cannons on each tank raised and missile launchers armed their warheads. Soldiers aimed their automatic rifles and bazookas, even though they were trembling from fear and sometimes forgetting to blink.  
  
Sean Campbell turned away from his video screen, as did many others, not wanting to see this incredible creature be chopped to bits by the military, but he stopped to think for a minute.  
  
"Those mines didn't even scratch Godzilla..."  
  
Godzilla was not afraid, stopping short of the land to eye the multiple rows of army weaponry that was aimed at him. He seemed to be guessing as to what they were. Soldiers looked away every time Godzilla's blazing eyes looked towards them.  
  
The mighty beast let loose an earth-shattering roar, shaking the Earth and bringing pure fear to the hearts of every soldier present, especially the commander of the tank/missile platoon.  
  
Gojira stomped on to the shore, his feet leaving giant, eight-foot deep footprints in the ground. The ground around the monster shook terribly under his weight and movement. Godzilla's lips curled back, his slavering jaws revealing double rows of razor-sharp, man-sized teeth.  
  
Now turning away from the army, Godzilla started his decent on downtown Manhattan.  
  
"Well what the hell are you waiting for; Fire the damned weapons!" ordered Taggart over his radio.  
  
"Fuh fuh fuh, FIRE, FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!!!!" yelled the platoon leader.  
  
The weapons were primed and began firing, triggers being squeezed to the breaking point. Sean closed his eyes and hung his head. Masses of heavy cannon shells and unguided rockets streaked toward Godzilla. Godzilla screamed in anger and surprise, quickly turning toward his attackers as the artillery began slamming into him. His tail swung as he turned, tearing a rather large portion of the nearby ground completely apart.  
  
The monster bellowed again as more powerful missiles and shells struck him from head to toe. He swung his arms wildly at the incoming projectiles  
  
Most everyone still looked away, not wanting to see the showers of blood and violent demise of Godzilla that they knew was surely coming.  
  
The beast was still being pounded with weaponry. Sean thought that the cries they all heard were screams of pain. But no, as Sean took a glance back at Godzilla, he realized the monster's bellows were roars of annoyance! As the smoke and flames from the army's weapons cleared, Godzilla remained standing. Sean looked at him closely and could not see a single dent.  
  
"Oh my God... zilla!" yelled Campbell.  
  
Taggart was in a state of utter shock. Talking was not his first priority at the moment. Others just stuttered and babbled.  
  
Godzilla had different things in mind. He screamed in rage and glared at the tiny pests that had tried to harm him, his lava-colored eyes glowing even brighter with fury.  
  
Suddenly, the radiation counters that were displayed on the computers that monitored Godzilla's external statistics suddenly leaped off the charts. Taggart picked up his radio and contacted the platoon at the shore by Battery Park.  
  
"Get your asses outta there now! We're detecting extremely high-energy readings coming from the creature! Retreat now!"  
  
His radio connection was scrambled. All of a sudden, the fins on Godzilla's back began to glow, pulsate, and crackle with that same neon blue-colored energy as seen before. The energy began to spark like lightning for several seconds. Godzilla opened his enormous maw and a brilliant light could be seen building up in his mouth, his throat bulging outward as the ground began to shudder as if it was a dirty rug being shaken clean. At the same time his eyes lit up. The army had no idea as to what was coming.  
  
"Do you remember what dragons do?" asked Campbell.  
  
Taggart nodded.  
  
Right as Godzilla opened his mouth, a blinding ray of destructive energy shot out and connected with the fleeing army. The vehicles and soldiers were all blasted into oblivion by the unimaginably powerful fire, which left a scorched crater where the platoon had once been, a massive plume of fire erupting into the sky.  
  
A resounding scream of surprise and terror erupted from the onlookers. One of the scientists checked his temperature and radiation gauges, which were both spiked.  
  
"Jesus! That was a blast of nuclear fire!"  
  
"Wa, what?" stammered Taggart.  
  
Godzilla roared in triumph, steam running from his mouth. He now came up on the shore. The enormous dorsal fins that lined Godzilla's back waved slightly from side to side, clattering and clanging together as he walked, sounding like the ringing of several bronze church bells.  
  
Godzilla was now completely on land. Flames erupted from underneath his feet as he passed by Battery Park. The GPHQ shook violently from the monster's footsteps as he passed right by that very building.  
  
When Godzilla's shadow moved over the GPHQ, Campbell ran back out the front entrance to catch another glimpse of Godzilla. He barely avoided being swept away by Godzilla's tail. Campbell hit the deck as the tail sailed over his head while Godzilla sauntered by.  
  
"Good God!!!" choked out Campbell.  
  
The other members of the G-Project also came outside to see.  
  
A million thoughts ran through their minds. Was this how Nature is punishing us for being too careless? Two things were for sure, and that was that Godzilla was a product of the limitless power of the atom and that the next few days would be the most remembered time in history. 


	6. Juggernaut

Downtown Manhattan  
  
The mass hysteria continued as building after building was completely looted. The vast numbers of people attempting to flee the city were clogging every highway, airport, and subway. Soldiers and police still brawled with angry mobs.  
  
The ground began to violently shake with each step the monster took as he got closer and closer. People began to run like bats out of hell as a colossal shadow fell over the edge of the downtown area. Cars bounced, windows shattered, and people fled as a building close by Battery Park exploded. The remains of the structure fell everywhere, smashing vehicles and people in the path.  
  
Godzilla had just entered downtown Manhattan.  
  
Sean Campbell's eyes widened with every second he watched the nuclear giant. Godzilla made his way down the streets of Manhattan with steady and graceful strides. Each time the monster's feet hit the ground there was a powerful shockwave and outburst of wind and debris, with occasional fire, sending cars and concrete flying. Ground level windows exploded in a domino effect from the shockwaves.  
  
Godzilla was slow and methodical. He seemed oblivious to those who were far below him. A mentally stunned man in the midst of the chaos stood next to a large store window. He stared up at Godzilla with an empty gaze. He seemed to know what would happen. The mighty beast roared again. The sound made the large store window, and every other piece of glass close by, explode. The unfortunate man was caught in the blast of glass shards. His coat protected him from major injury. He rushed back into a deserted alley and watched Gojira approach another row of skyscrapers.  
  
Everyone hoped that he would turn passed them and continue to only smash the streets and other surroundings. Godzilla stopped just short of the massive buildings and stared intently at the one directly in front of him, tilting his head from side to side and slowly moving his arms. Sean then realized that Godzilla was looking at his own reflection in the structure's numerous windows.  
  
"What the hell could he be thinking!?"  
  
Godzilla then ripped the side of the building with his claws and threw his bulk into it. Glass and debris rained everywhere around the doomed building as it toppled over like a stack of toothpicks. The building in turn slammed into the adjacent building and it too fell. The sequence repeated itself until leveling nearly an entire block.  
  
Terrified people ran in a mass state of confusion as the multiple structures smashed into the ground, one right after the other. Godzilla was almost like a bull in a china shop, only this time the bull was smashing the scenery on purpose.  
  
He charged up Fifth Avenue, barely avoiding the Empire State Building, but still sending a chunk of it crashing down after brushing against it with his shoulder while passing by.  
  
Casualties were rapidly increasing. One crowd of panicked citizens fell silent as Godzilla's massive foot came down on them. Others couldn't avoid the hailstorm of debris. Godzilla was completely oblivious to those that were beneath him. Their losses went totally unnoticed and were seemingly unintentional.  
  
The beast plowed through building after building, leaving a wake of destruction and panic. He loomed over Times Square, crashing across it like it was not even there.  
  
Godzilla continued his horrific rampage. His massive footprints were all over the ground of downtown, sky-scraping fires burning in the funeral piers, which were once proud buildings.  
  
The only fortunate thing was that Godzilla had not again employed the use of his atomic fire breath since the army's attack, so the city suffered from very little fire damage, at least for the time being.  
  
Fifth and Madison Avenues had been stomped to bits. Godzilla's tail swung like a whip and chopped the MetLife Building right in half as he turned to go in another direction. The upper half of the building plummeted down to the street below. A cluster of vehicles flew all the way down and past Madison Avenue, struck by Godzilla's foot as he walked. He was now nearing the main strip of tracks of New York's brand new metropolitan monorail.  
  
At this point in time, Campbell's hero syndrome overtook him. He then rushed out the door of GPHQ. Taggart chased after him.  
  
"Sean, just where the hell do you think you're going!?"  
  
Sean looked back as he jumped on to a Harley Davidson motorcycle that had apparently been abandoned outside of the GPHQ. The key was still in the ignition.  
  
"To go intercept Godzilla!" stated Campbell. "Look, I know this is getting way outta my league, but I think I can distract him."  
  
"How the hell could yo.."  
  
"Look sir, I know Godzilla has to be stopped, but look at him!"  
  
Growling, Taggart turned his gaze on the atomic behemoth in the distance.  
  
"Colonel, he's sure as hell stomping the city on purpose, but he doesn't know that he's killing anyone!" said Sean. "How could he? He's not even paying attention to what's going on around his feet!"  
  
"You're one of a kind, Campbell." said Taggart, shaking his head. "Okay, but I never saw you leave!!"  
  
Sean grinned and revved the Harley's engine. The tires squealed as he sped off towards the growing mass of destruction that was consuming downtown New York. Godzilla was visible as he walked amongst the skyscrapers. Seeing a skyscraper being passed by Godzilla and not getting destroyed quickly became a rarity. His eyes were trained on the monorail, which was rapidly speeding toward an imminent interception with him.  
  
The crew of the train knew of Godzilla's position and were, nonetheless, going to try to speed their passengers to safety. They instantly knew why the section of track ahead of them was covered by an enormous shadow but it was too little, too late to stop. Then, the foot of Godzilla descended and slammed down on the middle of the suspended tracks. The rest of the tracks fell to the ground. The people aboard the new monorail knew that something there was something wrong when the train suddenly slammed on its brakes. The sound of shrieking metal and a giant explosion filled the ears of the passengers and everyone nearby.  
  
The lead car of the train was shattered and the others careened off the tracks in every direction. Passengers were thrown around like rag dolls. Godzilla, with a lightning like quickness that clashed with his size, lashed out with his gaping maw and snatched one of the train cars in his jaws. He stood up straight and began to squeeze the helpless train car in his mouth. It crumbled like dust with the creature spitting out the remains.  
  
Godzilla picked up another train car. He turned it over in his hands and peered into it. Passengers took one look at the fierce lava colored eye looking at them and were stricken with panic. Some even broke windows out and jumped, albeit a hopeless attempt at survival. Godzilla dropped it back into the piled remains of the monorail, rearing back and bellowing at the sky. It exploded like a large fireworks display.  
  
Godzilla grunted and continued on his way. Once again, his dorsal fins glowed with blinding blue light. After about ten seconds Godzilla fired an atomic fire ray at the intersection of Tenth Avenue and West 62nd Street. It caused a massive explosion, vaporizing a large cluster of buildings and created a chain reaction of explosive fireballs. The leftover crater in the ground did not help matters either.  
  
Sean could see this clearly since it was on the street next to him. Campbell shielded his face from the heat wave. He was having difficulty maneuvering through the hostile mobs that were trying to escape. An old woman in the crowd started screaming at him.  
  
"What's wrong with you, young man!? If you go back you'll never get away alive!"  
  
Sean felt a twinge of pity for the elderly lady. A nuclear giant invading the city was not good for anyone's health. Godzilla was getting closer by the second and so was the media. Their helicopters were swarming all around Godzilla as he entered a clearing amongst the vast amount, or what used to be the vast amount, of skyscrapers. One helicopter decided to get extra close to get the scoop of the century. The reporter spoke frantically.  
  
"This is New York Central News Chopper #13, we have a brief update on Godzilla!"  
  
Godzilla turned his head toward the sky and opened his mouth. The reporter's heart sank.  
  
"Hmm, cancel that," blurted the doomed reporter.  
  
An atomic flame erupted from Godzilla's mouth and vaporized the news chopper. Its remains fell from the sky and erupted into a fireball as they crashed to Earth.  
  
Campbell maneuvered in a wide berth until he was now in front of Godzilla. He ditched his Harley into a deserted alley and ran back out into the street. Motionless, Sean stood and gazed up at the mighty beast that was getting closer by the second. The clanging of Godzilla's fins was getting louder and louder and the ground shook more violently as he approached from his footsteps. Sean could barely stand up on the rocking street.  
  
Godzilla roared again, exhaling a lot of air. Campbell held his ears in pain. A strong scent of hot ozone and fish filled the air and Sean sniffed at the air carefully.  
  
"Oh man, I can smell him," gasped Sean.  
  
Just then, Sean decided to do something extremely crazy. He thought that by getting Godzilla's attention, he could delay the monster's rampage at least for a little while. As the monster was nearly directly over him, he took a deep breath and gathered his courage.  
  
"GODZILLA!" shouted Sean.  
  
Godzilla seemed to hear the noise and stopped, just as his foot crashed down right in front of Campbell. The shockwave and windblast blew Sean backwards and he landed hard. Shaking off the shock, Sean stood back up and stared at Godzilla, who was staring right back down at him. Campbell gazed up at the living nuclear phenomenon. It was the first contact between human and nuclear monster. Campbell had to strain his neck to see over the tops of Godzilla's feet. They stared at each other for several seconds.  
  
Sean was hypnotized by the incredibly intense look of Godzilla's eyes. Both eyes seemed to burn ragged holes into anything they looked at. There was certainly intelligence behind them. He stared back down at Sean with a look of great curiosity, tilting his head from side to side and acknowledging him with a rumbling growl.  
  
"Me and my bright ideas," thought Sean.  
  
Godzilla then looked further down and to the side, his eyelids rising. Breaking out of his spell, Sean looked around to see what had grabbed Godzilla's attention. He saw who it was and his jaw nearly hit the ground while his thoughts rewound back to his former love.  
  
An absolutely beautiful young woman stood about a hundred feet away for the monster. She gazed up at him, paralyzed with fear and wonderment. Sean was also frozen in place, but it was from pure shock.  
  
"Amber!" blurted Sean.  
  
Unexpectedly, Godzilla slowly knelt down and reached out his massive right hand toward the ground as she turned to see who had said her name. Her lovely face was covered in surprise and terror.  
  
"Oh my God... Sean!"  
  
"Run!!!!!!!!!!" yelled Campbell.  
  
Amber screamed and ran when she saw a wall of flesh and claws, Godzilla's enormous hand, reaching towards them. Sean caught up to her only in time to see a set of massive claws tearing all the way into the street, which made the palm of Godzilla's hand more level with the ground. It moved forward, tearing up the ground and also scooping up the two people with them.  
  
Godzilla slowly stood back up. Campbell's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he looked down and saw that the people on the ground looked about the size of dirt pebbles and he that was eye-level with the centers and upper levels of several of the buildings, lying on a terrain of jet black skin. Sean took a few seconds to say a silent prayer, Amber's cries of horror filling his ears. The prayer made him feel a little bit better.  
  
Stiff with fear, Sean slowly turned to face the monster and got a full view of a gargantuan eye. Godzilla's intense stare blazed down at him. The monster's teeth were only a few feet away from Campbell's face. Godzilla snorted, blasting the two with scalding hot exhaled air.  
  
"Oh... dear God!" yelled Sean.  
  
Godzilla turned to Amber, who was curled up into ball, cowering in fear.  
  
"Sean..." stammered Amber.  
  
He scrambled over to her side to offer what little protection he could.  
  
Gojira gazed down at the two tiny creatures in his palm. She opened her eyes slowly and looked back up at the beast. To the two persons' astonishment, Godzilla's expression softened. He moved his face closer to Amber, an almost solemn mood about him.  
  
An amazed Amber slowly tried to smile. Godzilla tilted his head and growled, only it was a less threatening sound. It was the closest to a human expression that the great beast had ever shown.  
  
Godzilla kept on observing the small beings in his hand, but his look of intensity never left his expression. Sean carefully looked back at the great beast and shook his head in amazement, the mortal fear slowly leaving his body. Godzilla then threw his head back and bellowed. Campbell and Amber had a hard time bracing themselves against the brutal sound waves and hot air from Godzilla's roar.  
  
"What are you here for Godzilla? What's your purpose?" blurted Amber, as if he could understand her.  
  
Campbell was overcome by the strangest feeling. He no longer was afraid of Godzilla, knowing the beast could have already easily killed them.  
  
Sean became determined to solve the mystery of Gojira, before it became too late.  
  
Down below on the street, a crowd of people had gathered along with an even bigger group of army weapons. At least fifteen rows of tanks and twenty more missile trucks positioned themselves for attack. Apache attack helicopters also surrounded Godzilla. The giant looked at his new adversaries and snarled, nuclear power sparking and crackling on his back. The army had surely armed themselves with much more powerful weapons. Campbell began yelling down at the military.  
  
"No damnit! What the hell are you doing!? You'll just piss him off even more!!! Besides, it's our asses on the line too!!!!!"  
  
An Apache pilot stiffened his grip on the weapon trigger until he noticed a small figure in the palm of Godzilla's hand.  
  
"Lieutenant Collins, there's... my God, there's a man and woman standing in Godzilla's hand. Shall we proceed with the attack or attempt rescue," said the confused pilot.  
  
Lieutenant Kyle Collins listened to this report in a state of shock. How the hell could someone be in the hand of a monster like Godzilla? Collins was a veteran of the Gulf War and a hot shot U.S.A.F fighter pilot. This time he had been put in charge of the lead attack on the most amazing being ever to live, even though Collins himself had never seen Godzilla. Collins answered the Apache's report.  
  
"That's crazy," said Collins. "Now soldier, I want all of you guys to...."  
  
The lieutenant stopped dead in his tracks. On the screen in front of him, an image of the mighty Gojira appeared. After getting over the shock, Collins screamed into the radio.  
  
"Um... yeah, just get it over with!!!"  
  
Godzilla slowly knelt down and rested his hand on the ground, letting Amber slide off on to the ground. Before Sean could jump down too, the missiles and cannon shells began to streak from the tanks, vehicles, and helicopters.  
  
The nuclear leviathan quickly stood back up, Sean falling at least twenty feet from his clawed hand. He landed hard in a pile of rubble.  
  
"Sean!!!" cried Amber, rushing over to the fallen man.  
  
"Shit, Godzilla," murmured Sean, and then blacked out.  
  
The projectiles slammed into Godzilla from all sides. The great beast roared in pure rage from the numerous stinging sensations he felt all over his body. A blast of nuclear fire streaked from Godzilla's mouth and ravaged the multiple rows of tanks and missile carriers. His tail also did its own share of damage. Helicopters dropped like flies.  
  
One tried to dive bomb Godzilla only to be batted out of the sky by a head butt. The crowd of people fled like terrified mice at the sight of the army weapons being destroyed one right after the other and to escape flaming debris.  
  
The surviving tanks pulled back as quickly has they could but Gojira would have none of it. He threw his massive body forward and into a speeding charge that shook the surrounding land like a jackhammer. The shock of Godzilla's jog shattered windows and put huge cracks into some of the nearby buildings. The tanks were crushed flat, several with every stomp of Godzilla's foot.  
  
He looked down to see the smoldering remains of his enemies along with that ruined area of the city and roared in triumph, an arrogant and satisfied look on his face.  
  
A damaged missile truck managed to fire one last shot. The missile missed Godzilla but veered right towards Sean and Amber. The young lady screamed in terror. Out of nowhere, the missile exploded, hit by the snap of Godzilla's tail. The creature leaned forward and let loose a deafening roar, exhaling hurricane-force winds with his mighty lungs, blowing the remaining vehicles away and tearing chunks of pavement from the street. Godzilla's "tornado blast" was seemingly not even intended to be a weapon, but was instead a result of one of Godzilla's methods of intimidation, his earth-shattering voice.  
  
The juggernaut momentarily looked back over his right shoulder at where the two persons he had saved were sitting at.  
  
"You... you protected us..." said Amber.  
  
Godzilla seemed to stare towards the couple before slowly sauntering away, shaking the planet with every step.  
  
Amber and an ailing Campbell stared in utter amazement and astonishment at Gojira. He truly had to be the most powerful and reckless living thing in all of history, past, present and future.  
  
"Oh Sean, thank God you're ok!!" said Amber.  
  
Sean groggily looked up at her, frowning.  
  
"Amber, just what the hell are you doing here?"  
  
Meanwhile, Godzilla began to lower himself to the ground. He stretched out his huge legs and laid his colossal body down with a loud thud. Godzilla cleared himself an area to lie down in. Godzilla slowly closed his fiery eyes and lay still. Persons realized that it was not from injury or fatigue. Godzilla was just asleep.  
  
Two of the surviving helicopter pilots tried to get their senses back.  
  
"Why... why's this happening?" one of them said. "Our military with all of this power... Godzilla did all of this and we didn't do a damn thing to him."  
  
"Except piss him off and bore him to sleep." said the second pilot.  
  
New York was in utter chaos. Remains from the destroyed buildings and skyscrapers from the city's downtown area were littered everywhere. The burning hulks of other structures stood like shattered memorials to a city that was once civilized. Rescue workers worked feverishly to pull whatever survivors there were out of the smoldering wreckage of downtown Manhattan. Most of what they found was the corpses of people who, if they had been alive, would have told a story of technology creating an unimaginable destructive force.  
  
Survivors were bunched up in large groups up and down the city streets. They were mostly mobbing and verbally assaulting nearby soldiers for not being able to protect them from this horrible carnage. They were nonetheless taken into the mobile medical centers. A few minutes later, a message was broadcast over the city's surviving emergency communications systems that got the attention of everybody within the speakers' range. It was the governor of New York, James Conway, who was speaking.  
  
"My fellow citizens, I urge you to follow the directions of the police and military to insure you safety. I'll cut to the chase. The President has declared a state of martial law in New York City. It's in effect only until the threat of Godzilla has been put to an end. I will make it my first priority to see that every kind of assistance is sent to our city immediately. Our prayers are with you all."  
  
Hearing this, survivors were more willing to cooperate with the army. Footage of the destruction was being broadcast all over the world. Yet another reporter came on the air.  
  
"Every measure is being taken to end the horrible reign of Godzilla. Right as we speak, people have fled their homes and businesses, trying to flee into New Jersey and even the Brooklyn Heights, as if they are any refuge in this time of calamity."  
  
Images of the destroyed areas of New York City and Godzilla filled the screens of almost every operational television set. Thousands of e- mails flooded the Internet, all concerning the ground-breaking news of Godzilla. Merchandising and media companies latched on to Godzilla like rabid wolves with plans for monster merchandise already on the way. T- shirts which featured copies of the first pictures taken of Godzilla were filling up copy shops and clothing stores everywhere around the New England area and, as soon as the delivery planes got underway, the whole country.  
  
Everyone was trying to make a quick dollar. But, what was suffering the most was the stock market. A large part of New York's financial district had been destroyed by Godzilla. Stockholders had sold their stock has quickly as they could the very second the monster Godzilla set foot on American soil.  
  
With the temporary halt in the destruction, Wall Street worked at a feverish pace to halt the plummeting stock prices. It would be no easy job, but it had to be done. The army had already declared a full media blackout in Manhattan and all areas of New York City. Gang riots over in Brooklyn became uncontrollable.  
  
Meanwhile, the army sent out special groups of soldiers equipped with Geiger counters to investigate the disaster area. Every place they went the results were the same. Everywhere Godzilla had passed through was severely contaminated with nuclear radiation. This information neglected to reach a certain number of survivors who were now approaching the slumbering Godzilla himself. Curiosity was winning over them, overpowering their fear.  
  
The arrival of Godzilla had also stirred up a worldwide religious frenzy. All over Europe and the U.S., people piled into churches and synagogues to pray, convinced that the Revelations foretold in the Bible were beginning to happen on Earth.  
  
In Islamic countries, Godzilla was being hailed as a weapon sent by God to punish the corrupt nations of the world. Iraq had also issued the following statement.  
  
"Any act of hostility, perpetrated against Gojira will be considered an act of terrorism against the nations of Islam."  
  
Animal rights activists were also making their opinions heard. They saw Godzilla as a one-of-a-kind specimen and demanded that he be protected under the same kind of preservation laws as the blue whale and other endangered species.  
  
Back at the GPHQ, Taggart and several of the project's scientists and officers watched the television reports in disbelief.  
  
"And now we've got the Middle East thinking Godzilla is a heavenly weapon! What the hell can possibly happen next?"  
  
When live camera shots of the Godzilla's area were shown, Taggart spotted someone familiar to him.  
  
"Hey, that's Campbell down there! Get the 'chopper ready, we've gotta get him outta that area now!!!" 


	7. Theories, Confessions, And Annihilation

A/N: I never meant for the scene with Sean, Amber, and Godzilla to seem like a "Beauty and the Beast" scenario. It was basically just to show how unpredictable Godzilla is and the gentleness of Amber's character. This story will quickly pick up pace and feature a twist that no one will be able to guess.  
  
While crowds of curious onlookers gathered around Godzilla, Sean started demanding answers from Amber.  
  
"Just how in the hell did you find me?" asked Sean.  
  
Amber Hart hung her head. She and Campbell had dated all through their high school and college years; their relationship was very intimate. Marriage had been possible. About three months after graduating college, problems in the relationship erupted.  
  
Amber believed that Sean's blossoming career in the nuclear field would become more important to him then she was. Tragically, it all went downhill from that point on. This had made Sean extremely bitter for several years afterward and he still was not over it. Amber had expected it.  
  
Sean did not know what to think, or even feel. His thoughts and emotions were so mixed up at seeing his former love again that he could hardly think remotely straight. Old memories and feelings flooded back to him like Niagara Falls, including his anger. His wounds also added to his distress.  
  
"Sean, I, I saw you on TV when they had the exclusive coverage on Godzilla. I took the first flight here so that I could catch you. I've felt so bad for all these years and..."  
  
"You felt bad!?" yelled Campbell. "How do you think I felt!? You just ended us without giving us a chance to straighten things out when we could've done so!!!"  
  
"Sean please, you're hurt! Let me..."  
  
"Do what!? Nurse me back to health and then leave again!!!?"  
  
Amber looked away from him, hurting deeply inside. Beginning to soften a little, Sean tried to rise but could not. The adrenaline rush had just worn off and the pain from falling from Godzilla's hand had caught up with him. Blood and bruises covered his battered body. Every muscle and bone in Campbell's body screamed out with pain, but he ground his teeth together to keep from spewing out a long string of profanities.  
  
"I'd say I deserved that," said Amber, trying to help sit Campbell up straight.  
  
"No, I shouldn't have said it."  
  
"Sean, breaking up with you was the biggest mistake I've ever made. I mean... I mean that I still love you..."  
  
Sean looked at her and was only able to smile weakly, the strength and stamina still drained from him. He knew deep down inside his soul that he still cared about her too.  
  
"Look Amber, I made a lot of mistakes too. It's not all your fault. But, I think there's a better time and place to talk about this than here. We've got history being made right here, right now." whispered Sean, pointing at Godzilla.  
  
Amber gazed at the slumbering gargantuan. She almost laughed in pure amazement, still having trouble believing that she had been in the hand of Godzilla and was still breathing afterwards.  
  
Amber smiled down at Campbell, hugging him close. From overhead, a military chopper touched down beside Sean and Amber. The door burst open and out jumped Taggart, accompanied by a few other soldiers. They rushed over to Campbell and unfolded a stretcher.  
  
"My God, Campbell! I saw everything from your little ride in Godzilla's hand to the fight with the heavy weapons division! I'm sorry but all of the choppers were taken. We couldn't get here in time. Thank God you're still here to tell about it. Now, let's get you on the stretcher because you need medical attention now!" said Taggart.  
  
Sean tried to protest, but he was too beat up to move, let alone walk. Taggart and his men put him on the stretcher and loaded him onboard the helicopter. Amber went along with them. The chopper lifted off and flew high above the city. Below, the destruction that Godzilla had wrought was clearly visible along with the mighty monster himself. He actually looked peaceful in that state. Along with Gojira, other sites could be seen. They consisted of mobs of unruly and furious survivors still fighting with soldiers and policeman.  
  
"Colonel, what's going on down there?" asked Sean.  
  
Amber looked warily at Taggart as he answered.  
  
"About ten minutes ago, martial law was declared here in New York. The army now has the authority to do whatever it takes to end the threat of Godzilla. Being in the army myself, you'd think I'd appreciate this, but I don't. I'm afraid of what some of my soldiers might have to do..."  
  
"Sir." said Campbell. "As crazy as this may sound, I don't think Godzilla is as big of a threat as we think he is."  
  
"Go back to sleep, Campbell. Those new painkillers are making you drunk off your ass."  
  
"No damnit, I'm serious. Amber and I were in the palm of Godzilla's hand where he could've killed us in a millisecond, but he didn't. In fact, he shielded us from the army's weapons when they attacked him. It could very well have been an fluke but I'm not so sure. If you could ever look into Godzilla's eyes like we got to do, you could tell that there's more to him than just random city bashing. He's got some sort of purpose here. All we need to do is just figure out what it is... before it's too... too late."  
  
"Sean, you need rest," said Amber.  
  
"Why," continued Campbell. "How did all of the factors of life and the environment come to be in the right place at the right time, along with those nuclear weapons, to create such a life form, such a flawless mutation."  
  
With that, Campbell fell fast asleep. He definitely needed the rest. Taggart sat in silence, pondering Sean's words. Somehow, they made sense to him. Now below them were the Brooklyn, St. Williamsburg, and Manhattan Bridges. Military vehicles were lined up on the bridges from end to end. They also had to deal with angry mobs that were also trying to cross all of those bridges.  
  
Soldiers suddenly opened fire on the irate mob with rubber bullets. They did not kill, but they caused serious pain and forced the out of control people back away from the bridge.  
  
Back at GPHQ  
  
Taggart's helicopter touched down at the special G-Project headquarters and they rushed Campbell into the medical area. His injuries, impact wounds, multiple lacerations, and minor bone breaks, were patched up quickly along with his bruised ribs. With the newly invented "bone glue" and revolutionary painkillers of the early twenty-first century, Campbell would be nearly back to normal within a few hours. Taggart and Amber sat with him while he awakened from his drugged slumber.  
  
"Campbell, I've got two people here that want to see you when you're feeling up to it." said Taggart.  
  
"Bring 'em on in, I'm fine."  
  
Taggart sent for the two guests and turned back to Campbell.  
  
"I swear, you either don't care about pain or you just ignore it. You impress me, Sean. You took a beating equal to about, hmm, God knows how many bar fights and you're still wanting to keep on like it never happened!"  
  
"Ah, that's not all that much. Godzilla took a pounding that would kill any other living thing several million times over and he's still in top shape."  
  
"Yeah, he is, isn't he..." grumbled Taggart. "Oh yeah, reports on Godzilla's estimated body weight are in."  
  
"So, how much does he weigh?" asked Amber.  
  
"400 kilotons." replied Taggart.  
  
"Whoa, damn!!!" cried a shocked Campbell.  
  
He looked over at Amber, who was sitting next to him on his bed.  
  
"Colonel, could I be alone with Amber?"  
  
"Sure thing Sean," replied Taggart.  
  
As Taggart left the room, he looked back at Amber.  
  
"So, you're the woman from the picture," stated Taggart, then he left.  
  
"What picture?" asked Amber.  
  
Sean picked up his wallet from the table that sat next to his bed and let it fall open, exposing the picture of her to Amber herself.  
  
"You kept it..." said an amazed Amber. "I didn't even think you'd wanna see me, even my picture, ever again."  
  
"How could I possibly not?" asked Sean. "Amber, I may have been crushed and angry, but I never stopped loving you either."  
  
Amber wiped tears of joy from her eyes.  
  
"Sean, I'm so glad! I'm so sorry for what happened with us... when I saw you fall out of Godzilla's hand, I thought for sure I'd lost you and..." said Amber, interrupted when Campbell slowly raised his hand to her face, running it gently over her soft cheek.  
  
"You'll never lose me Amber," whispered Sean.  
  
Sean hugged Amber close, kissing her. She climbed up on to the bed, kissing him right back, their emotions completely taking over.  
  
A minute later, Kyle Collins walked through the door of Campbell's room and stopped dead in his tracks, a smile as big as ancient Rome spread across his face.  
  
"Whoa, sorry to interrupt there, big guy!"  
  
The couple stopped and Sean was about to cuss out the intruder until he saw who it was.  
  
"Sean Campbell! God, it's great to see ya man!!!"  
  
Campbell sat up instantly. He couldn't believe his eyes.  
  
"Collins!!?? Damn, you haven't changed a bit!!!"  
  
Kyle jogged over to the bed and he and Campbell shook hands. When he playfully slapped Sean on the back, he quickly pulled back.  
  
"Oops, sorry amigo, forgot about the ribs!"  
  
"That's ok, man. I'm tough," said Campbell through gritted teeth.  
  
Collins grinned and sat down by Campbell. While they reminisced about old times, Taggart came back in to talk with Amber, who still held Campbell's hand.  
  
"Miss Hart, I thought this was the first time those two ever met."  
  
"Oh no sir," said Amber. "Those two are best friends who haven't seen each other in at least five years. I think that's right, since I haven't really got to be with Sean ever since..."  
  
She could not finish her sentence. The memory of her mistake was too intense. Taggart put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.  
  
"At least he's here with me again," said Amber.  
  
"He's a lucky man," commented Taggart.  
  
They then joined in the Campbell-Collins conversation. After about an hour, the second guest appeared, only he wasn't in the hospital. He was back at the GPHQ. When Taggart received the message, he grabbed his backpack and headed for the door.  
  
"Are you coming guys? The very important guest just arrived at HQ."  
  
"Oh, and I wasn't an important guest, sir?" asked Collins jokingly, sounding insulted.  
  
"I'll let that go, due to the circumstances."  
  
Collins got the clue loud and clear. He followed Taggart out the door.  
  
"Don't forget us!" yelled Sean.  
  
Sean, being helped by Amber, was right behind them.  
  
"He's just like I remember him," said Collins. "Stubborn as hell and pain never bugs him!"  
  
Campbell laughed.  
  
"Hell, I guess I just take after Godzilla."  
  
Everyone laughed and agreed. They made there way toward the meeting room, taking it easy so Campbell and Amber could keep up.  
  
"Why did they even declare martial law in the first place!? Look what it's doing! Those people are gonna do more damage then Godzilla."  
  
"Isn't that stretching it just a little bit there Campbell?" asked Taggart.  
  
"Yeah, yeah it is." said Campbell. "But the martial law will cause the city to deteriorate faster then acid on tin."  
  
"I know, you're right." said Taggart. "I'll talk to my superiors right away. But first, we need to talk to our guest back at HQ."  
  
The group could see Godzilla in the distance from some large windows. The great beast still slept soundly, even though people who were still in the city were now gathered around him. Some people were even setting up lawn chairs in Godzilla's area, the sounds of his breathing echoed through the concrete canyons.  
  
Sean thought about how these people were being such complete idiots. Row after row of tanks rolled through the streets while Harrier jet fighter- bombers, F-18 and F-16 class fighters flew into the city from all directions. The tanks were now gathering around Godzilla along with sixty huge, doubled propped helicopters. These were new transport choppers, each able to carry many tons of weight.  
  
"What are those heavy transports doing there?" asked Campbell.  
  
"I think I've got a good idea why." said Taggart. "There's enough of them to move the creature. Damnit, they wouldn't.... I didn't even give the order!!!"  
  
Taggart seethed in anger all the way to the HQ. Once inside, a man of at least seventy-five years of age approached Taggart and shook his hand.  
  
"My name is Raymond Michaels," said the man. "I'm you're mystery second guest."  
  
"Thanks for taking the time to come here Mr. Michaels." said Taggart. "This is Sean Campbell, the man who's seems to have at least a little understanding for our mutant friend out there."  
  
Campbell and Michaels exchanged greetings.  
  
"Why that monster didn't kill you two in the palm of his hand is a mystery to me."  
  
Campbell then got right up in Michaels' face. That comment had made him extremely angry.  
  
"And just what in the hell is that supposed to mean!?"  
  
Kyle and Amber pulled Sean back.  
  
"Whoa, easy there brotha." said Kyle.  
  
"I'm sorry if that came out the wrong way," explained Michaels. "It's just that I don't understand why Gojira would commit so many acts of mass destruction but then spare you."  
  
"It's because when he saw Amber and me up close, he understood we are living beings, just like him."  
  
Everyone in the room pondered Campbell's comment. Michaels sighed and walked to the window. Godzilla's sleeping body could now be seen stretched out across the Manhattan skyline. He stared at the dormant nuclear beast, a look of fear and guilt in his eyes.  
  
"I should've never been on that bomber. I should've never pushed that button..."  
  
"Say what?" asked Campbell.  
  
"Perhaps it's time that I explained why I'm here..." said Michaels.  
  
Everyone in the room pulled out a chair or plopped down on a sofa. Amber laid her head on Campbell's shoulder. He put his arm around her shoulder. Michaels then began his story.  
  
"It was back in 1954, in the Pacific Ocean over Bikini Atoll. I was the bombardier aboard the B-36 heavy bomber that initiated that horrible nuclear test. I later learned that the U.S., French, and maybe even Japanese governments had been engaged in some kind of strange genetic experiments on the same island that my squadron nuked before the testing took place. I had friends on that scientific team who risked their careers to tell me about what was going on. Apparently, they were experimenting with animal genes, mainly those of reptiles and especially recently discovered dinosaur genes. The species of dinosaur was unidentified, but tt's my belief that there really was a real life dinosaur and that the fifty megaton thermonuclear weapon dropped by my aircraft mutated him into who is destroying New York right now."  
  
The room sat in stunned silence.  
  
"I know what you're thinking," said Michaels. "I guess you could say I'm partially responsible for Godzilla's birth, but I was just the bombardier on that B-36."  
  
The room exploded into a frenzy of shouting and arguing.  
  
"Geez, you've got explanations for everything." scoffed Campbell. "But, I seem to remember another nuclear test taking place around the supposed birthplace of Godzilla in 1991. If the 1954 test in fact created him, then the '91 one only made him stronger and awakened him if he was around the island at that time. and there were the several decades of repeated nuclear tests to go along with all of that."  
  
"What I wanna know is why the hell our weapons don't even seem to be putting a dent in Godzilla. We keep pounding him with firepower and it just pisses him off!!! Even though there were reports of blood flying from Godzilla's neck after a missile hit him there, not a single scratch could be seen and we had a clear view too!" said Taggart.  
  
"Maybe he just heals quickly," said Campbell. "What I mean is that Godzilla's molecular structure can heal his wounds like any other living thing, but at a speed that only takes a microsecond. That sounds crazy, but since the mutation improved the rest of him so much, then it's not totally impossible that his natural cell regeneration abilities were multiplied many, many times over, to the point where nothing we can throw at him will do any good whatsoever. Plus, his armored hide makes sure that not many weapons will be punching through his skin."  
  
Michaels walked over to the window.  
  
"You're right. He's no natural creature... he's like a violent storm. Now Godzilla rests; we are in the eye of the hurricane."  
  
Before anyone could answer, Taggart received a call over his portable radio. The conversation was brief and no one in the room could make anything out of it. He then laid his radio down and pointed to the window on everyone's left. The same heavy helicopters that were seen earlier were now hovering over Godzilla, lowering, what appeared to be, multiple titanium cables. Each of the cables had large metallic clamps on their ends.  
  
"Just what the hell are they doing?" asked Collins.  
  
"Something I couldn't tell anyone about, even you Campbell. I never gave the orders, but they're gonna try and transport Godzilla out of the city and dump him in the ocean. That should confuse him enough not to be able to find this city again."  
  
"Well then," then Campbell. "The second something happens, I wanna be down there front and center..."  
  
June 21  
  
People ran back as far as they could when the army's war vehicles surrounded Godzilla. The thick, titanium derivative cables from each of the forty transport helicopters were carefully clamped around Godzilla's arms, legs, neck, and tail. They barely fit. Luckily, his limbs were spread out so securing the cables was not as difficult as originally expected.  
  
"Ace 3 to Ace 7, we're ready to commence 'Operation Overload'," said the pilot of the third helicopter.  
  
"Roger that." replied Ace 7. "All other Ace's are primed, we are a go."  
  
The roaring engines of the Ace transport choppers were deafening. Slowly but surely over the course of an hour, Godzilla was lifted from the ground and into the air. The helicopters strained to the breaking point as they lifted Godzilla, his tail drug along the ground, tearing up whatever it touched. Finally, the choppers were lifting Godzilla high above the buildings of Manhattan Island.  
  
His weight was straining each titanium cable greatly. They had to drop him into the Atlantic and soon. Back at GPHQ, Sean Campbell, Col. Taggart, Kyle Collins, Amber Hart, and everyone else who was there could see the massive form of Godzilla being carried above the city. Down below, Manhattanites gathered to watch this operation designed to rid the city of Godzilla.  
  
The monster hung from the many titanium cables that held him, still asleep, but why had he not woken up? The group of Ace helicopters was now flying over the Chrysler Building.  
  
One of the crewmen aboard Ace 13 was staring at Godzilla. Just the plain sight of him made the man almost hypnotized in fear and wonderment. The crewman was snapped out of his daze when Godzilla's dorsal fins flared and his eyes shot open. The monster quickly looked around and roared. The deafening bellow shattered the windows and some of the more fragile electrical instruments in just about every Ace chopper.  
  
They quickly tried to scatter and Godzilla cut the cables. As he began to fall, Godzilla nuked several of the Ace helicopters with his atomic fire. Godzilla fell at an incredible speed. He then smashed into the top of the Chrysler Building. Godzilla let out a very high-pitched roar as he plummeted towards the ground, compacting and smashing the Chrysler Building with every foot he fell.  
  
"Godzilla!!!" yelled Sean.  
  
The people who were standing by Campbell could see the concern on his face as they watched the great beast plummet towards the ground. After a matter of seconds that seemed like an eternity, Godzilla hit the ground with a deafening scream. The shock from the impact caused the surrounding ground to split apart and several of the closer damaged skyscrapers to topple over, two of which landed on Godzilla. He was completely buried by rubble.  
  
After the flying debris and dust subsided, there was no movement from underneath the debris. The nearby soldiers began to whoop and cheer in victory. Campbell looked on at the huge pile of debris, visibly dejected. Taggart put a hand on Campbell's shoulder.  
  
"I'm sorry Sean, but it had to be done. Think of all the lives this will have saved."  
  
"I know, I know." said a disheartened Campbell. "It's just that... think of all that we could've learned from him... he also saved mine and Amber's lives, even if it was a fluke."  
  
Amber walked up to Campbell and hugged him. He squeezed her tightly, not really knowing how to feel when a strange sensation washed over Campbell. He knew it wasn't over.  
  
Suddenly, there came a great rumbling from the ruins of the Chrysler Building and the two other skyscrapers. The pile of debris began to fall apart and was illuminated by familiar orange flashes. Amber quickly grabbed Sean's face and turned him towards what was happening. The mountain of wreckage exploded as Godzilla rose to his feet and roared in defiance. People were speechless, jaws once again hitting the ground.  
  
"What can we do now?"  
  
Godzilla roared again as he started walking. He turned and swung his tail into another building. It shattered like a house made of playing cards. Gojira once again employed his thermonuclear breath, gutting multiple buildings in a blast of nuclear flames.  
  
Amber then noticed that Godzilla was carrying something in his left hand. She got the attention of Sean and Kyle and told them to look. In his giant hand, Godzilla carried the now twisted spire of the Chrysler Building. Godzilla's fins lit up with power and a stream of energy that looked like a lightning bolt appeared from the fins and traveled from his back, down his arm, and into his hand. The spire glowed with the ghostly radiance of Godzilla's energy and melted away.  
  
He continued onward.  
  
Building after building after building collapsed under Godzilla's weight. They crumbled like paper houses under a steamroller. Godzilla's thundering roar echoed throughout the concrete canyons of New York City like an extra loud death knell. With the destruction of each building, huge plumes of fire and explosions were most always the result. The trail of destruction was getting longer and wider. Godzilla grappled with another one of the skyscrapers like it was a living opponent. It too shattered like the rest, debris tumbling down to the ground.  
  
The leviathan eventually neared Madison Square Garden. If the world famous sports arena could talk, it would have screamed its terror. Nearby tanks began firing, distracting Godzilla from The Garden.  
  
The retreating tanks fired back at Godzilla as they ran. He slammed his massive foot into the ground, causing a powerful shockwave. The shockwave quickly caught up with the tanks and utterly trashed them. They were either knocked to pieces or totaled and flipped upside down.  
  
"Hmm, Godzilla must not be a Knicks fan, almost trashing The Garden like that."  
  
"Oh real funny asshole," snapped Taggart.  
  
Shrugging, Collins continued.  
  
"I think that's his way of saying that anyone who gets in his way is as good as smashed," said Collins.  
  
"...or vaporized." added Amber.  
  
"That too."  
  
Just then, masses of Apache helicopters, Harrier fighter/bombers, F- 16, and F-18 fighters streaked over the GPHQ. Some were low enough to the ground for Sean to see that they were overloaded with weaponry. Sean ran over beside Taggart.  
  
"Just what are those for Colonel!?"  
  
"Campbell... I know how you stand with Godzilla, but both my and Lieutenant. Collins' job is to defend this country and everyone in it and Godzilla is a threat to all of that. We've got to end this and end it now, even if it means sacrificing the remaining parts of this city. Our soldiers have finally managed to get the city mostly evacuated so the loss of life should be minimal."  
  
"You're crazy!!" yelled Campbell. "There are still people in the line of fire! Besides, before you do anything stupid, let me get to Godzilla. He won't hurt me, I know it."  
  
"You're the one who's crazy Campbell! You were lucky the first time but you won't be the next!"  
  
"I'll find that out for myself, Will," said Campbell.  
  
Taggart sighed in defeat, knowing that he had truly lost control over everything now.  
  
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do."  
  
"You know me, Will. You should have a good idea of what I'll do."  
  
"That's what I'm worried about, Sean. You're a friend of mine and I don't want anything happening to you, man."  
  
"Same to you, sir. But, if I can't get you to stop this attack, I'll wait until after it's over. But I've gotta tell you about this strange gut feeling of mine. No matter what's about to happen, Godzilla won't die."  
  
Everyone in the room looked warily at each other. They knew deep down inside that Campbell was probably right.  
  
Near the Empire State Building  
  
The people who remained in the city were running for their lives, staying one step ahead of Godzilla's crushing feet. Several scrambling survivors hit the deck just as Godzilla's right foot passed high over them and caved the street in when it smashed against the ground. Godzilla then entered a cluster of buildings that completely surrounded him. He looked around in a curious manner, turning around in two complete circles, his tail tearing a huge circular trail in the ground.  
  
Godzilla then braced himself and clutched his arms to his chest. Then, energy literally exploded from Godzilla's fins and began to envelope his entire body. The Earth itself shook under Godzilla's feet as the energy gathered into a tight sphere inside his chest. At the same time, thirty Apache choppers were unleashing their full payload of Hellfire missiles. The deadly payload streaked toward Godzilla. He saw this and stood straight up, throwing his arms out to his sides. The massive amount of energy built up inside of him was unleashed in a spherical pulse wave.  
  
The nuclear pulse lashed out and vaporized the surrounding buildings along with the streams of missiles. The back draft of the detonated missiles engulfed several of the Apaches. They fell in streaks of orange flames. Godzilla turned in quick circle and swung his massive tail. The creature's tail was the last thing two careless Apache crews ever saw. The tail also chopped a long gash into another row of buildings. Three of them toppled over.  
  
The remaining Hellfire missiles from the last few choppers exploded harmlessly against Godzilla's armored back. Suddenly, one of the Apache pilots lost control of himself. He made a suicide run at Godzilla's face, Vulcan cannons blazing. The streams of burning shells clanged all over the monster's face only to get a viscous snarl and scream of rage in return. A blue plasma ray poured from Godzilla's mouth and blasted the helicopter. There was no debris. Collins shook his head in disbelief.  
  
"I've gotta go now. This just can't go on."  
  
Collins ran out doors and jumped into his car. He was headed to join up with the U.S.A.F. squadron assigned to rid the world of Godzilla's menace. Campbell tried to chase him down, but his injuries kept him from it.  
  
"Kyle!!! For the love of God, stay out of this!"  
  
It was too late to stop Kyle. Campbell staggered back inside the HQ. He stopped right at the doorway because a strange sight in the East River caught his eye. The water seemed to crackle with a strange energy. It was electricity. Along the shoreline, at least eighteen long metal shafts were inserted into the river. Each one of them were hooked up to a number of gigantic power cables that ran into the city, certainly from the brand new nuclear plant.  
  
Godzilla remained visible through towering sheets of smoke and fire. The towering inferno of raw power known as Godzilla was clearly headed for the closest and most familiar power source known to him, nuclear power. He was headed for the Manhattan Nuclear Plant.  
  
"My God, that'll take him right back through downtown!" cried Amber.  
  
"Yeah, and look what's gonna be directly in his path in, oh I'd say, the next five minutes." said Campbell.  
  
Amber saw where he was pointing, right at the Empire State Building. But, the military would surely do everything in their remaining power to keep Godzilla at bay for as long as possible. Godzilla was entering the main area of the remaining part of downtown. He stopped suddenly, his foot caving in the street and completely demolishing the subway tunnels below.  
  
Gojira could sense that he was not alone. His sharp eyes scanned the surroundings with a cold, reptilian gaze. The creature's upper lip curled into a brief snarl and he then smashed his right fist into his left palm, which could not have been a good sign.  
  
Immediately, sidewinder missiles and masses of Vulcan cannon rounds began pelting Godzilla from all sides. In between the skyscrapers, Harrier fighter/bombers could be seen weaving and dodging around the skyscrapers, picking their shots as they came.  
  
Godzilla swung wildly at the incoming projectiles. He then stuck out his barrel-like chest, allowing hundreds of rounds of artillery and at least seventy small missiles to slam into him. They did not harm him in the least. Once the smoke and flames cleared away from his body, Godzilla roared defiantly at whoever had assaulted him.  
  
"I knew it," breathed Campbell. "They can't stop him."  
  
Campbell was right. Godzilla had just dealt a severe psychological blow to his opponents. The sight of their weapons being used like toys against this behemoth had severely demoralized the attacking soldiers. Now, it was a guessing game for Godzilla.  
  
He slowly moved from building to building. The little pests that attacked him had to be close by. Suddenly, Godzilla stopped in front of one of the wider skyscrapers and took a deep breath, energy building up inside of him. A familiar nuclear ray blasted an extremely large section out of the center of the wide skyscraper. Through the clearing dust and smoke, Godzilla spotted the culprits. Facing the great monster from the other side of the building was a group of five Harriers.  
  
The pilots screamed in terror at the incredible and awe-inspiring sight of the most powerful living being ever to set foot on planet Earth, a being who was intent on erasing them from existence. They squeezed the firing triggers of each plane to the breaking point. Sidewinder missiles poured through the gaping hole in the building and struck Godzilla mostly in the face. His entire head was covered in flames and rocket fuel. With a scream of pure rage, Godzilla plowed through the already stricken skyscraper like it was a pile of leaves.  
  
The Harriers scrambled in every direction but one of them wasn't fast enough. Godzilla reached out his hand and grabbed the unfortunate aircraft. The pilot's death screams could be heard over many government radio frequencies. Godzilla then attempted to pursue the fleeing jet fighters. Realizing that he wasn't quite fast enough to catch up with them, Godzilla let his nuclear death ray do the job. He narrowed his razor sharp eyes at the Harriers and the energy began to crackle all over his fins. Gojira's eyes illuminated and he fired.  
  
The beam of nuclear fire streaked out and engulfed the escaping aircraft. Some were totally vaporized while others fell from the air like dying fireworks. The flaming hulk of one of the Harriers sailed down right through the display window of a large department store. The ruined store building was put out of its misery by a clean swipe of Godzilla's muscled tail. The destruction went on and on. Block after city block were mowed down by Godzilla's strength and even more were wiped out by his deadly nuclear breath.  
  
Those who helplessly watched the utter annihilation of New York City wondered what could possibly be in store for them next.  
  
"It's like Godzilla is removing the city from existence, just like a nuclear weapon would." mumbled Taggart.  
  
"No." said Campbell. "He's not only trashing the place like a nuclear weapon."  
  
The whole room turned to hear what Sean had to say. His face turned deadly serious.  
  
"... he IS a nuclear weapon. Godzilla contains every quality and power of a thermonuclear bomb. We can't truly destroy an atomic atom and that means... well, what I'm trying to say is that..."  
  
He was interrupted.  
  
"We can't kill Godzilla," finished Amber.  
  
The silence was broken by Godzilla's terrifying voice. He was getting closer.  
  
"That's bullshit!!!!!" protested one of the lower ranking officers. "That monster's alive like all of us. If it lives, it can die too!!"  
  
"You got any bright ideas, smartass!?" drilled Taggart.  
  
The man said no more. In the meantime, Godzilla had the Empire State Building in his sights. There were only a few more rows of various structures in his way and he'd be upon one of the most famous buildings in the world.  
  
Gojira's predatory eyes scanned the building up and down, sparkling with energy here and there. He seemed to have a common dislike for anything taller than he was. As his fins began to blaze with nuclear energy, Godzilla heard the distinctive sound of jet engines. It was New York's seemingly best hope for survival, 'The Gold Scorpions', a squadron of Air Force fighters and bombers led by Lieutenant Kyle Collins.  
  
"Okay Scorpions, line up in attack V-formation. You all know what's at stake."  
  
"Roger that Lieutenant. Collins. We've got that irradiated reptile in sight with A-84E Harpoon and Maverick missiles locked on and ready to fire."  
  
"Roger," said Collins. "Now I've got to apologize to an old friend."  
  
Kyle radioed the G-Project HQ and asked for Sean Campbell. Kyle only had a few seconds to explain.  
  
"Kyle, please, turn back while you still can!" pleaded Campbell.  
  
"I can't do that Sean. We've gotta stop this chaos while we still can and to do that, we're packing missiles that could take out an aircraft carrier with three shots. I'm sorry Sean, but Godzilla's time as come."  
  
"No, don't, you can't!!!"  
  
All Campbell heard was the static of the severed radio connection. He then ran out to the balcony to get a better view of the battle. Godzilla was clearly visible and in the distance, The Golden Scorpions could be seen streaking towards the behemoth. The F-16's and F-18's were moving into attack formation. Campbell ran to the edge of the balcony with Taggart holding him back.  
  
"No damnit! Not this way!!!!" screamed Campbell.  
  
The lead F-16s opened fire at Godzilla's left side while the F-18s attack from the other three sides. Dozens of A-84E Harpoon missiles and A- 65 Mavericks soared toward the surrounded Godzilla. He roared at the multiple projectiles that were on a collision course with his seemingly invincible body. Campbell looked away and closed his eyes, silently cursing under his breath.  
  
The missiles slammed into Godzilla, with at least a dozen hits on his left side, fourteen on his right, and twenty hits on the front and back of his body. Some missiles failed to detonate, striking Godzilla's fins and careening into some of the remaining skyscrapers, the explosions gutting each of them. Godzilla was engulfed in a plume of flames and pure explosive power. His cry of rage was deafening while he continued firing random blasts of atomic fire into the air.  
  
"Come on Godzilla! "If this doesn't get you, then just play dead 'cause I wanna get the hell outta here!!!" yelled Collins.  
  
The aircraft scattered out of the way. Even more missiles struck. The ground underneath Godzilla was completely blown up with nothing but a huge crater remaining. With nothing under him, Godzilla toppled like a redwood tree into the crater. The resounding crash shook the land for several miles.  
  
"Godzilla's down, Godzilla's down!!" yelled Collins.  
  
The fighters continued strafing the crater with missiles and Vulcan cannon fire until they were nearly out of ammo. Finally, some of the F- 18's dropped a pair of unguided free-fall bombs into the crater. An enormous fireball erupted from the crater. The bombs had been full of napalm.  
  
New Yorkers watched the crater burn and burn until it finally was extinguished by the blast of a sidewinder missile before it got out of control. Suddenly, there was a strange rumbling that was coming from the crater. Several tons of dirt and debris were blown into the air as Godzilla rose to his feet.  
  
Several areas of his body still smoldered from the napalm and missile hits. Collins could not believe it and neither could anyone else. Godzilla roared and plunged his hands into the outside edge of the crater, pulling himself out. Godzilla stood back up as the dirt torn up by his climb refilled most of the crater. He began firing.  
  
Jet fighters were vaporized left and right. Collins pulled of every evasive maneuver that he could but accidentally twisted his aircraft back at Godzilla. He found himself locked in the monster's intense stare. Kyle could not get his full concentration back. Godzilla's eyes were too fierce. Those very same eyes flashed with energy has Godzilla opened his immense maw. Kyle swerved the F-18 to the right but the beam caught his left wing. The plane spun out of control but Kyle was able to temporarily stabilize it.  
  
"HQ, HQ, THIS IS LIEUTENANT. COLLINS!!! I'M GOING DOWN, REPEAT, I'M GOING DOWN OVER CENTRAL PARK!!!"  
  
Taggart gave the order to send a rescue chopper and shook his head in confusion.  
  
"Kyle!!!" yelled a panicked Campbell.  
  
"Don't worry I've got rescue teams on the way," said Taggart.  
  
"My God in heaven, what can we do now? He's just laughed off all of our best shots and..."  
  
"Godzilla's at the Empire State Building!" yelled Campbell. We can't stay here. We've gotta go, we've gotta go now!!!"  
  
"Say what!???" questioned Taggart.  
  
"Colonel, I think I can get Godzilla to stop this! We've gotta distract him and make him hesitate and maybe calm down!"  
  
Taggart nodded. He knew he was all out of options.  
  
Campbell and Taggart ran out the doors and boarded an Apache chopper. Amber was right behind them.  
  
"Sean I want to go with you!"  
  
"Amber, this'll be really dangerous."  
  
"But if something happens, I'd want to be by your side."  
  
She put her hand over Sean's mouth.  
  
"Shhhhhh." said Amber. "I know what you'll say, but I'm never going to leave you, never again."  
  
Sean nodded and helped her aboard. The Apache quickly took off and headed at flank speed towards the Empire State Building and Godzilla, hoping the monster's seemingly small streak of calmness would come back to the surface. 


	8. Author's Note And Conclusion

Hey there,  
  
I'm sorry for the lack of updates and thought that my reviewers and whoever else has been reading this story deserved an explanation. I wrote this story when I was in 8th grade (I'm 20 now) and thought it'd be cool to post it on ff.net since I post other stories here too, but I'm afraid I won't be continuing it all of the way. When I first wrote this in 1998, the true villain(s), in a huge swerve, turned out to be an unknown terrorist group along with a splintered faction of the U.S. military that seize control of New York after Godzilla's initial attack, in which the Big Guy eventually defeats. Now that we are in 2004 and have real terrorists to worry about, I don't feel that the storyline is appropriate or in good taste anymore, especially after 9/11. I am not trying to shaft or piss anyone off by cutting the story short. Believe me, I appreciate the people who take the time to read my stuff too much to do that intentionally.  
  
I do have a sequel to this story started, GODZILLA RISING: THE WRATH OF THE KAIJU, and it will be filled to the brim with all the action, attitude, and drama that makes Godzilla such an enduring character, with my own twist of course.  
  
Godzilla Rising: The Wrath of The Kaiju- The unthinkable has happened: World War 3. The trio of warring factions now stand deadlocked as, in addition to their conflict, a plague of mutated creatures of all shapes, sizes, and powers, dubbed "kaiju" by the Japanese, rampage across the globe. Now the only wild card amongst in the midst of power struggle and carnage is the one being who can bring about an end or a whole new beginning, GODZILLA.  
  
Well, here is the final part of Godzilla: A Legend Reborn, terrorist parts excluded.  
  
[He carefully and slowly approached Godzilla. The leviathan stood still, never taking his eyes off the helicopter. Energy sparked and crackled from his fins. Campbell could see what was coming and quickly snatched a megaphone from Taggart's equipment bag and threw open the side door, wielding a megaphone.  
  
"Godzilla, don't! 'You remember me...?"  
  
The energy surge stopped and Godzilla walked up right next to the 'chopper, who was at eye-level with him.  
  
"I don't know if you can understand me or not, but you've gotta stop this carnage while you still can. They'll get you in the end. You saved my life and Amber's so I don't want anything to happen to you. Please, leave while there's still time."  
  
Godzilla tilted his head to the side. He was actually trying to understand.  
  
"Please Godzilla!" yelled Amber. "You saved me and the man I love and I feel like we have to help you now. I know you never meant to drop Sean either! If your purpose is to teach us a lesson, then we've learned it! Messing with nature and nuclear weapons is wrong; I'll be the first to admit that! But you've gotta go before it's too late."  
  
Godzilla stared for a long time before letting out his now trademark roar. From inside the chopper, Gojira's gapping maw was like peering into an impossibly huge abyss. The blast of wind from the roar tossed the helicopter around but Taggart got it back on track.  
  
"Am I the only one here that's sane?" he asked.  
  
Campbell laughed off the comment and looked back at Godzilla. Those eyes, those eyes contained so much intrigue, intensity, life, power, and many other facts left undiscovered. They now looked at Sean Campbell and Amber Hart with a sense of understanding. The mighty beast growled and smashed his fists together. His eyes also flared brightly.  
  
It was a clear message as to what was truly happening. Sean's ever inquisitive mind ran wild as he stared into the inferno that encircled Godzilla's expression. The beast was a sign of things to come. The nations of the world had thought that nuclear weapons were a thing of the past, but somehow, in the right place and at the right moment, a nuclear explosion combined with a correct set of conditions created an incarnation of all of Man's nightmares stemming back even to the ancient serpent of Eden. his ancient fear of the reptile. Now, that nightmare had come true thousands of times over in the form of a reptile of unfathomable power that had emerged from the depths of the oceans seemingly to destroy everything in its path.  
  
Campbell looked back at the unbelievable Godzilla. He knew the great beast had to be stopped and contained, but he had hoped to gain full understanding of him first. Godzilla peered back at him, his eyes once again softening at the sight of Amber. A look of astonishment flashed across Sean's face. Amber knew what he was thinking also.  
  
"Amber," whispered Sean. "You may be able to get through to him  
  
Sean took a deep breath and reached his arm out the side of the chopper with the palm of his hand held up. He had no idea how Godzilla would react to this gesture of friendship. Godzilla blinked several times and roared. He then slowly raised his own right hand and reached toward the helicopter.  
  
Just about as Campbell was about to make his second contact with Godzilla, the beast's fingers got too close to the rotary blades of the chopper and every blade was chopped off when they hit the giant hand. The Apache plummeted toward the ground far below.  
  
"Oh God help us now!!!!!" screamed Taggart.  
  
As their lives flashed before their eyes, Amber, Sean and Will had one last hope for survival. Godzilla's cry of surprise seemed to have a trace of concern in it. The helicopter suddenly stopped falling with a huge jolt. From the windows of the chopper could be seen a large terrain of dark green skin, three massive fingers and one massive thumb. Godzilla had been there when they needed him.  
  
The awesome creation of the atom's raw power walked over to a decapitated skyscraper and gently placed the damaged Apache onto it. The 'chopper finally was still, the howling wind swirling around it. The three people inside opened their tightly squeezed eyes. Amber laughed out loud, ecstatic to be alive. She then grabbed Campbell and gave him a huge kiss.  
  
"He saved us!" said Amber.  
  
"You got that right!" said Campbell, gasping for air.  
  
Sean opened the side door of the helicopter to the site of Godzilla. Godzilla had that serious look on his face again.  
  
"Ugh, um, uh thanks Big G; I didn't expect you to care like that," said Taggart. "We're gonna radio for a ride out of here."  
  
In the distance, the East River seemed to ignite with electrical energy. Godzilla spun around to see this and started toward the river and the Brooklyn Bridge.  
  
"No Godzilla, don't go! It's a trap!" screamed Amber.  
  
"Listen to her, Big G! I know that you at least have some idea of what we mean!"  
  
Campbell shook his head.  
  
"We sound like idiots, expecting him to understand us!"  
  
Slowly, Godzilla turned back around and looked at Campbell and Hart. His fins crackled with energy and seemed to... wink at them with blazing eyes.  
  
"Look at him though; we don't sound so nuts after all," said Amber.  
  
He started toward the Brooklyn Bridge with a mighty stride, full of confidence and pride. Fire once again erupted from everything that was destroyed in his unstoppable march. No one who was watching could take their eyes off of Godzilla. Amber, Sean, and Will had just had their lives saved by a living force of nature.]  
  
A/N: For a quick synopsis, Godzilla is apparently "killed" by a desperate military attack of bio-weapons and fuel-air bombs. After Godzilla's disappearance under the Hudson River, the terrorist/splinter military group assault Manhattan and when Godzilla returns, an all-consuming battle ensues where Godzilla proves his power by defeating them in a fight that levels nearly all of New York, saving the people he had started out destroying. Sean and Amber continue to try and convince Taggart of Godzilla's apparent change of heart. The Colonel appears to be listening, but the United Nations does not.  
  
[ The Panama Canal...  
  
The deafening roar of Godzilla tore across the morning sky as people ran for their lives. There were only three naval ships blocking the beast's path to the Panama Canal. They were firing torpedoes and anti-ship missiles like mad that just exploded harmlessly against Godzilla's chest and neck. At least six torpedoes struck Godzilla's submerged legs and tail, their exploding uranium warheads shooting tall, wide pillars of water into the sky. Godzilla shuddered and bellowed in rage. He unleashed his nuclear breath on the hapless navy cruisers. They were all blasted into atoms. Satisfied, Godzilla entered the Panama Canal.  
  
He towered mightily over his surroundings. Tropical birds flew away before Godzilla even bothered to take notice of them. The beast's deadly tail lashed out and smashed into the side of the canal. This left a ragged gash in the shore that could have been mistaken for a detonated minefield. Godzilla looked at the gash for a second or two, seemingly contemplating the way he kept destroying things even when he was not even trying to. He continued on his way.  
  
Gojira peered into the depths of the vast forests beside him and ahead at the splendor of the Pacific Ocean. Godzilla roared at the horizon, sending a legion of forest-dwelling animals into a terrified frenzy. Godzilla's size and bulk was nearly overflowing the Panama Canal. Water poured over the sides, flooding the adjoining land. When he finally reached the other side, Godzilla quickly and silently slipped into the depths of the Pacific. His dissension barely even made a ripple on the ocean surface. Silence once again fell over the Panama Canal. For Godzilla, this tranquility would soon be shattered, perhaps forever.]  
  
A/N: Godzilla makes his way to the now evacuated Galapagos Islands where the military waits for him with their rapidly developed G-Eraser warheads, made from Godzilla's recovered DNA samples and a neutron bomb to finish him. Sean and Amber watch on helplessly as Godzilla walks into their trap.  
  
[A few of the F-15 pilots were the first to notice the disturbance in the water. The time had come. Godzilla emerged from the water with his usual mighty roar. Cascades of water fell from his unimaginably powerful body. Godzilla possessed a powerful mystique about him that nobody could possibly deny. It had gotten to the point where words could not even begin to describe Gojira's presence and majesty, or all of his unimaginable power. He was a phenomenon like no other. The mighty monster looked from side to side and growled. He began to approach the island ever so steadily and methodically. The F-15's began to organize into an attack formation. Godzilla's feet crushed the shoreline as he walked onto the island. He was ready for anything. The sound of the jets' engines caught Godzilla's attention. Nuclear plasma breath lashed out at the jets. Some were able to dodge out of the way with only sections of their fuselages melted but others were not as lucky.  
  
Flaming wreckage plummeted to the ground; their losses would probably not even be remembered to those who witnessed their fall. The other more fortunate pilots were able to unleash several payloads of incendiary warheads at Godzilla. Not even half of them connected with their target. Liquid flames erupted into several enormous spouts of fire that wrapped around Godzilla. Several people nearly screamed while others held their collective breath. The fighter jets continued raining napalm all around Godzilla. Every few seconds, the monster could be seen through the sheets of fire that tried its best to scorch him.  
  
It failed.  
  
Godzilla emerged from the flames with an angry roar. The leviathan's head and his back had been set ablaze. They quickly burned themselves out. He quickly brought the other F-15s to the ground in a storm of nuclear death. Godzilla growled in satisfaction and continued on his way across the island. Soon afterwards, three squadrons of F-15s gathered. They were ready to clash with the mighty Godzilla. Back on the Theodore Roosevelt, Taggart had received a call over his communications radio. He listened gravely to the information that he was given. After ending the transmission, Taggart approached Campbell and Amber. His eyes shouted obvious clues to very bad news.  
  
"Will, what did they say?" asked Campbell.  
  
"That was my superior. Right now, the U.S.A.F. is deploying the G-Eraser weapons."  
  
"No... oh God no..." sobbed Amber.  
  
"Please sweetheart." consoled Campbell. "Remember what I said before. He'll come through in the end."  
  
They didn't have time to finish their conversation. The specially armed F-15s were about to initiate the final attack on Godzilla. It had come time to see whether or not these "G-Eraser" weapons, which had been quickly constructed without testing, could actually work. It was time to see if they were really configured to destroy only Godzilla's DNA. If so, then Godzilla's blood samples had been used very well by scientists. The F- 15s moved into attack formation. Godzilla fixed his intense gaze upon them and roared. All at once, the entire world seemed to hold its own breath. Each F-15 pilot primed their weapons and pulled their triggers.  
  
G-Eraser missiles leaped from each jet and streaked toward the monster Godzilla. It was a moment of truth. Could mankind's last-ditch effort work? Many actually hoped that it wouldn't. At least twenty missiles centered in on Godzilla's right side and chest. The beast vaporized some of the fighter jets, scattering all three squadrons. He never bothered to notice the missiles until it was too late. All of them found their mark. Plumes of fire erupted from the missiles' explosions as Godzilla let out a deafening roar of rage and confusion. The flames cast an eerie glow over his dorsal fins and face. He did not understand this new feeling that engulfed him. It was foreign to him, something completely alien: pain. The flames cleared away enough to see the bloody patches all over the right side and front of Godzilla's body.  
  
"Godzilla!!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed Amber.  
  
Others were in a stunned silence.  
  
"Oh my God no..." whispered Sean.  
  
Campbell could not find the right words. Godzilla extended his neck and bellowed in pure rage and pain. He would never give up, no matter what. The F-15s circled back around and fired again and again. Dozens of "G-Eraser" missiles slammed into the enraged beast. He grimaced and continued firing his nuclear breath at the fighter jets who swarmed around him like pesky mosquitoes. Godzilla was being slowly cut down. With the missiles destroying his DNA, Godzilla's armored hide nor his amazing regenerative powers could do anything. The F-15 pilots were relentless, but even they felt a twang of empathy for their target. Godzilla's multitudinous wounds streamed with crimson blood. He stomped his feet in pure frustration and anger. The ground itself shattered under his weight. Godzilla opened his slavering jaws and raged against his cruel fate.  
  
"Sir, direct hit but the target is still standing," radioed the squadron captain back to the carrier.  
  
"Well come back around and fire again!!!" yelled the captain in reply.  
  
It was all going to be over soon. All that Godzilla had done, all of the chaos, the destruction, the heroics, all of would now end. The mighty beast, the phenomenon, the force of nature was being cut down. Frank Jackson's media group was still able to bring footage of the assault on Gojira to the citizens of the world. Mixed feelings ran amok. Some people thought that Godzilla's demise would be for the best while the others were sending loads of phone calls and e-mails to their local broadcast centers so that they could somehow relay them to the military, pleading for the attack to be stopped.  
  
Campbell had never felt so helpless in his life. He could do nothing to help Godzilla and it was tearing him up inside. Amber could not even stand to watch anymore. She wept for Godzilla. The F-15 fighters regrouped and made one final run at Gojira.  
  
The eyes of the mighty titan burned at his attackers with loathing eyes. He decided that if this was indeed his final hour, it would be their last too. Godzilla glared his hatred as nuclear energy began to crackle on his fins and build up in his throat. All but two of the aircraft were destroyed by Godzilla's fire. The missiles those jets had fired were still there. They all smashed into the ailing Godzilla with terrible force.  
  
The great beast reared back and let out a mournful scream into the evening sky. The television cameras zoomed in as close as they could on Godzilla's face. He seemed to look right back at them. His eyes still blazed with power and a sadness that had never been seen before. It was as if he was asking how it all could possibly end like it was going to.  
  
Amber burst into tears. Campbell suddenly made a dash toward the side of the ship. In his mind, he was going to try to help Godzilla somehow, some way. He wasn't thinking clearly, but he did not care. Some of the sailors had to hold Campbell back.  
  
"Godzilla, don't die!" yelled Campbell.  
  
Gojira inhaled and an earsplitting roar followed. The will to win still and always burned brightly within him. Meanwhile, the military had decided to use Plan B.  
  
Raymond Michaels was aboard the B-2 bomber when it was ordered to attack. He sat in a cold silence. The death of Godzilla was imminent and he was right in the middle of it all. President Stone had confirmed the use of the neutron bomb on Godzilla due to the apparent failure of the "G- Eraser" weapons. This act would seal the doom of the main Galapagos Island and Godzilla himself. The government thought that it would be worth the consequences if they could rid the world of the presence of Gojira.  
  
The time had come.  
  
Chapel bells in various churches began tolling as people prayed that everything would work out for the best. Others felt the sting of tears in their eyes. Even the most cold-hearted person had to feel empathy for the monster known as Godzilla. Frank Jackson continued his live coverage even through the chaos that was all around him.  
  
Taggart ran up to Campbell and Amber.  
  
"We'd better get ready. They're activating the neutron shield around out fleet," informed Taggart.  
  
Sean turned around to face Taggart.  
  
"Don't you see this is wrong!? They can't kill Godzilla! They just can't!!! He's our reminder of the mistakes we've made, a wake-up call to the fact that we're not the true masters of everything. He's the way to really see the horrible things we're doing to this planet and to ourselves. If Godzilla dies, then we'll forget all of our mistakes and make them all over and over again!!!!"  
  
Taggart knew deep down that Campbell was right.  
  
He wished he could stop the attack, but there was no way that he could. The electronic neutron radiation shielding was activated to protect the fleet of naval ships. The B-2 bomber was rapidly approaching Godzilla's location. Its weapons officer had already armed and primed the neutron missile. All of the preparations were complete. The timer on the neutron missile had reached the final thirty seconds of its countdown.  
  
"They are about to launch the neutron weapon. I'm not a very religious man, but please God, please take care of all of us... please," said Frank Jackson.  
  
People all over the world stood in silence. The timer counted down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... and the missile was launched. Godzilla looked up and roared, trying to see what was happening. The B-2 had managed to stay out of the way of Godzilla's deadly thermonuclear breath. Its crewmen, along with everyone else, watched as the neutron warhead streaked towards Godzilla. The great beast never saw it coming. Nonetheless, he stood firm and tall, bellowing his defiance.  
  
Tragedy then struck.  
  
There was a massive blinding flash and a deafening explosion. The neutron bomb, the weapon that destroys life itself, found its target. A bubbling mushroom cloud billowed up into the sky followed by a tremendous shockwave and heat blast. It was a heartbreaking, yet mournfully hypnotizing site. The screams of Godzilla could be heard even above the roar of the neutron explosion. It was all coming to an end.  
  
"Godzilla!!!!!!!!!! Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed Campbell.  
  
The monster could still be barely seen through the flames of destruction. Godzilla looked back out of his fiery tomb. His eyes could tell countless stories with a single glance. He had been created in the heart of a thermonuclear blast and had come all the way to New York City, the birthplace of the Manhattan Project, apparently to teach humanity a lesson, but was now paying for it all in the end.  
  
Amber buried her face in Campbell's shoulder, crying hysterically. Sean looked back out at the mighty Godzilla.  
  
Taggart slowly removed his army cap and placed it over his heart out of respect. All of the other soldiers and sailors did the same. They had only done their job of defending the United States and the world. They were still human.  
  
Raymond Michaels watched with a face of stone. His emotions were severely mixed up. From their homes and business, people watched in a state of silence. Some cried whereas others couldn't find the words to tell about the way they felt. Most people had all thought that they would be cheering for Godzilla's demise, but they just couldn't stand to do that now. They had begun to understand him... to actually understand him.  
  
The neutron explosion had enveloped most of the Galapagos Islands. The colossal orange mushroom cloud stretched its hideous peak into the sky. Godzilla's final roars tore across the horizon as the neutron energy engulfed him. At last, his suffering was ended.  
  
Campbell nearly sank down to his knees. The shock of what had happened was too much. Tears were finally brimming in his dark brown eyes. Amber lay on the deck, face-down, crying her eyes out.  
  
"It's over... it's all over," said Campbell.  
  
With a heavy heart, Frank Jackson turned to face the camera.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, citizens of the world... Godzilla is dead. The menace is gone. Maybe now we can begin to heal from all of this and manage to move on to..."  
  
Jackson could not finish what he was going to say. He felt a lump rising in his throat. Godzilla's tragic death had touched anyone who had a heart. Nobody had remained unaffected by the reign on Gojira. Sean helped Amber to her feet and hugged her.  
  
"Will you be alright?" she sobbed.  
  
"What about you?" asked Sean.  
  
"I will be... in time."  
  
Taggart slowly approached Sean. He could see the pain in his and Amber's eyes. Will even noticed a few tears stinging his eyes also.  
  
Sean walked towards the edge of the deck. He stopped and looked back at the island. That mushroom cloud still towered almost endlessly into the evening sky. Vast nuclear fires continued to burn on the water's surface and where the main Galapagos Island used to be... and where Godzilla once was.  
  
"You stopped those bastards back in New York. Thank you for my life with Amber," whispered Sean.  
  
With that said, Sean went back over to Amber and Taggart.  
  
"We can't deactivate the radiation shield until we're back around Florida. The radiation is too strong," said Taggart.  
  
Before anyone could say another word, an officer ran up to Taggart carrying data papers.  
  
"Sir, we've been monitoring the levels of radiation around the blast site and they're dropping rapidly!"  
  
"What the hell, but... but how can that be?" demanded Taggart.  
  
"Well sir, it would seem like something else is consuming the radiation."  
  
"Consuming? Oh my God," gasped Taggart.  
  
He was interrupted by a low rumbling noise. It was coming from the waters around the ravaged island. All attention was fixed on that area. Soon, the decks of ships began to shake with violent force. People were slipping and falling all over the place. Frank Jackson's cameraman had trouble keeping his camcorder in focus. Fear and excitement were both running rampant. What could have been causing those tremors? The answer was soon to come!  
  
Many of the carrier's crewmembers were yelling and pointing at the main Galapagos Island. Everyone soon saw what they were taking about. Massive cracks and fissures were forming in the already decimated island. Undersea shockwaves were also being detected. A single thought was coursing through Sean's mind, even though his memories told him that it couldn't be possible anymore... or could it?  
  
Blinding rays of neon blue light began to shine brightly from the fissures in the main island and the surrounding water was being turned into scalding hot steam. That kind of light was instantly recognizable.  
  
"Sir, is that from the neutron bomb?" an officer asked Taggart.  
  
"No, a neutron bomb doesn't make energy quite like that..."  
  
Explosions burst forth from all over the island. Campbell and Amber walked over to the edge of the carrier's flight deck. Their faces were full of a new kind of hope.  
  
"Godzilla..." stammered Sean.  
  
The island was vaporized by a massive energy blast. Dirt and rock rained down over the water. When the flames cleared, someone very familiar was standing in the ruins of the now lifeless island, emitting a thunderous roar of victory.  
  
"GODZILLA!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Pure shock swept over the entire world like a hot blanket. Amber was weeping again, only this time she cried tears of joy.  
  
"He's ALIVE!!!!!" cheered Amber.  
  
Godzilla's roars of pride and victory thundered against the eardrums of every living thing within at least eight miles. He fired several rays of nuclear energy into the air and stomped out of the large pile of mud that used to the biggest of the Galapagos Islands.  
  
Across every television monitor in the world displayed the words "GODZILLA LIVES!" Many people, even Frank Jackson, were actually happy again, but also hoping that the destruction would not start again.  
  
"Science can't explain him, technology can't stop him, and now that now- legendary monster Godzilla is going back to the ocean, back to his home. Maybe now we can breath a sigh of relief, knowing that we can get on with our normal lives," stated Jackson.  
  
The wounds from the G-Eraser weapons and the neutron bomb still tattooed his body, but Godzilla took a deep breath and began to concentrate. He looked towards the carrier and roared in bittersweet victory as a wave of energy swept over his body, closing those wounds forever. A roar of cheers rose up like a storm from the carrier's deck, especially from Sean, Amber, and Will.  
  
Godzilla entered the water. Steam poured from his burning hot skin, making a sharp hissing sound. His blazing eyes were filled with power and intensity once again. Campbell was jumping up and down, whooping and shaking his fist in the air out of happiness. He grabbed Amber and playfully swung her around a few times. She was laughing quite a bit. Taggart had a huge smile spread across his face.  
  
"Sir, do you want to begin another attack on Godzilla?" asked one of the officers.  
  
Taggart grabbed the man by the front of his uniform.  
  
"You do that and I'll throw you under the his foot myself!"  
  
"Yea, yea, yes sir Colonel Taggart," stammered the shaken soldier.  
  
Taggart looked out at Godzilla who was passing about two hundred feet off of the starboard side of the Theodore Roosevelt.  
  
"It's now official; I've seen everything," remarked Taggart.  
  
Godzilla passed by the Theodore Roosevelt. Waves from his advance crashed into several of the other ships, almost capsizing a destroyer. His fins still clattered and clanked together and his muscular tail swished through the water. The red light from the evening sunset reflected off of Godzilla's wet skin, casting a ghostly glow. Godzilla's majestic stride out towards the open ocean was a memory to behold. Sean and Amber stood together in front of the large crowd of onlookers, watching Godzilla slowly walk away into the beautiful evening sunset.  
  
As he strode by the carrier, Godzilla turned and looked down on deck. The naval officers saluted out of respect, as did Taggart, while others stood in awe. Campbell looked up at him with silent respect and gratitude while Amber blew a kiss towards the leviathan.  
  
"Go in peace Godzilla," said Campbell.  
  
Godzilla flashed one of his now-famous facial expressions, but this particular one was different, as if to say 'thank you'. The valiant creature turned away to go back, back into the ocean, which was now his home.  
  
"He's incredible, that Godzilla," said Sean.  
  
"Yeah... yeah, he is," said Amber.  
  
She kept on gazing at the legendary Godzilla, her soft lovely eyes full of admiration and respect.  
  
"You came as an enemy, a mystery to us all, and now you leave as a hero. I hope you can find a full, meaningful life. After all, you're who helped bring Sean and me together again. Thank you Gojira."  
  
Godzilla stopped in mid-stride and turned back toward the Theodore Roosevelt. He looked at the ship and the people on its deck for several seconds before letting out another earth-shattering roar, which shook the ships and the water itself. It was his good-bye.  
  
With a final look of satisfaction, Godzilla turned to leave. He looked amazing with the sunset in front of him. It had turned out to be a happy ending after all. The destruction was over, Godzilla was returning to the ocean, and Sean and Amber had a wedding to plan. As Godzilla's roars echoed across the water, a feeling of contentment fell over everybody.  
  
"He's the King of the Monsters," stated Sean.  
  
"Why do you say that?" asked Taggart. "There aren't any other giant monsters, at least that we know of."  
  
"Because," said Sean. "Even if there are other giant mutant beasts or other kinds of monsters out there somewhere, they'll never compare to Godzilla."  
  
Godzilla came upon a small remainder of one of the islands, of what used to be an island hill. He pulled himself out of the water and stood on the top, towering over it, taking a victory stance with the sunset behind him. Godzilla turned his gaze towards the heavens, closing his eyes and roaring, long and loud, in final victory.  
  
Sean, Amber, and Will, knowing that they had all experienced the greatest adventure of their lives, looked out at Godzilla, then at each other smiling, knowing everything had worked out in the end. Amber took Sean's hand and leaned her head against his shoulder.  
  
"So where to now?" she asked.  
  
"Home, sweetheart, back home."  
  
"My house or yours?" asked Amber.  
  
"Well, my place is a mess, so if you've got room for a guest." smiled Campbell.  
  
"I'll always have room for you," replied Amber.  
  
She turned her gaze back to Godzilla.  
  
"Will he ever come back?" wondered Amber.  
  
"I'm sure he will, someday, somewhere," said Campbell. "But I can say this for sure: There will never be another like him."  
  
The incredible Godzilla roared at the sunset one last time before diving back under the waves with a tremendous splash. Finally, the balance of nature had been restored, at least for the time being.]  
  
THE END...  
  
A/N: ...until the next sequel. Thanks for reading! 


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